NSDR

Travel Information

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 17:56:44 +0000

NSDR'07 will be held with ACM SIGCOMM 2007, you can obtain the travel information from the SIGCOMM'07 website. We would post any travel information specific to NSDR'07 (e.g. venue details) here later.

Call for Papers (PDF), (TXT)

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 18:00:44 +0000

The ACM SIGCOMM Workshop on Networked Systems for Developing Regions (NSDR) will provide a venue for researchers to propose and discuss ideas and to participate in the sustainable development and deployment of Internet and communication technologies for developing countries.

Benefits of the Internet and communication technologies are limited to a fraction of the world's population e.g. according to a 2006 survey Internet penetration in North America is 69.1% of population compared to 3.6% for Africa and 10.8% for Asia. Cost factors, low literacy, and limited access to power and bandwidth in developing regions seem to suggest that there is a need for communication technology research specifically aimed to meet the special needs of developing regions.

The great and diverse needs of developing regions (e.g. economic problems, social issues) call for a multi-disciplinary research agenda. However, the focus of NSDR is on communication and networking aspects of developing regions research (e.g. communication infrastructure in rural areas, systems build using such infrastructure that solve some specific problem).

We encourage submission of early works (position papers) describing interesting, original, previously unpublished ideas pertaining to networked systems for developing regions, which:

propose new research directions,
target a specific application,
have the potential to significantly enhance the design and sustainable deployment of networked systems in developing regions,
or could generate lively debate at the workshop.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

Delay Tolerant Networking: delay-tolerant Internet access in developing regions, DTN routing over wireless rural links
Rural Wireless: long-distance 802.11, WiMaX solutions, directional antennas
Low-cost Computing Devices: low-cost end-user devices which constitute the network, mobile phones as primary computing devices, task-specific devices
Sensor Networks: sensor-nets designed specifically for developing regions
Power-Efficient Systems: power-efficient computing architectures, power-efficient network infrastructure, power-efficient mobile systems
Sustainable Deployment: pricing models for sustainable deployment of communication infrastructure
Applications: healthcare, disaster management, and education

NSDR'07 papers will be published by ACM in the joint workshops proceedings of SIGCOMM'07 (note this is different from the SIGCOMM'07 conference proceedings) and will be indexed by the ACM Digital Library.

Supporters

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:59:47 +0000

For NSDR this year, SIGCOMM executive committee has decided to relax support restrictions and supporters can direct their funds to this workshop.

Support can only be used to provide travel grants to students.
Support can pay for travel, lodging, and workshop registration.
Students with the travel grant do not need to register for SIGCOMM'07.
All sponsorships would go through SIGCOMM

For the support:

Funds 5K and over are treated as regular SIGCOMM support, with all privileges thereof (logo on proceedings, etc. details here)
Funds below 5K (which we are interested in) will be noted as follows:
- logo on the NSDR website
- thanked in the SIGCOMM'07 chair's introduction (text and verbally)
- thanked in the NSDR chair's introduction (both text and verbally)
- no logo on SIGCOMM conference & workshop proceedings
- no logo on SIGCOMM poster (thank in text only)

We plan to use these funds to provide travel grants to students from developing countries and are actively looking for supporters. Interested organizations should contact Muneeb Ali (muneeb@sics.se).

Camera Ready Instructions

Wed, 30 May 2007 04:37:51 +0000

The paper format must be the same as SIGCOMM'07 as described at:

http://www.sheridanprinting.com/typedept/sigcomm.htm

You can find templates for word and latex at that site.

NOTE: However that the actual submission process is different than that described, namely:

The due date for the NSDR'07 camera ready is June 13, 2007.
The camera-ready must be submitted in PDF.
The page limit is 6 pages.
The camera-ready must be uploaded via EDAS.
The name of your camera ready file is irrelevant (EDAS will overwrite it).

For copyright information of the camera-ready:

the value 978-1-59593-787-2 should be used instead of 978-1-59593-713-1
the event name should be NSDR'07 and NOT SIGCOMM'07
event date should be August 27 and not August 27-31

In other words, for NSDR the following copyright info should be used:

\conferenceinfo{NSDR'07,} {August 27, 2007, Kyoto, Japan.}
\CopyrightYear{2007}
\crdata{978-1-59593-787-2/07/0008}

Copyright Form: The author copyright form is available as html or PDF, and must be emailed to Bill Hogan at whh@cs.cornell.edu by June 10, 2007. In the copyright form use "ACM SIGCOMM Workshop on Networked Systems for Developing Regions (NSDR), Kyoto, Japan, August 2007" as the 'Publication or Conference Name and Date'.

Source Files: The document source (latex or word) must be emailed to Bill Hogan at whh@cs.cornell.edu after submitting the camera-ready version.

Session 1: Paper 1

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 14:11:38 +0000

Simplifying Fault Diagnosis in Locally Managed Rural WiFi Networks

Authors: Sonesh Surana, Rabin Patra, and Eric Brewer (UC Berkeley)

Abstract: The last three years have seen a lot of work in making WiFi-enabled Long Distance (WiLD) networking a reality in rural areas. Generally these networks are managed by non-local users who cannot guarantee long term support beyond a pilot. For long term operational sustainability, it is essential that maintenance duties be transferred to local administrators. In this paper, we argue that the research agenda should expand into areas of simplified diagnosis solutions as an enabler for locally managed WiLD networks. Motivated by real faults we have seen in our own deployment at the Aravind Eye Hospital, we propose a framework to simplify diagnosis and show some initial results towards this direction.

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Session 1: Paper 2

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 00:56:27 +0000

Providing Voice Connectivity to Rural India using WiMAX: Issues and Solution

Authors: Abhijit Lele (Motorola Reseach, India), Mayank Raj (IIIT Bangalore, India), and Debabrata Das (IIIT Bangalore, India)

Abstract: The need of emerging markets telecom, specifically in the Indian telecom scenario, WiMAX is being looked as a broadband access solution ahead of LTE and other competing technologies due its long range and high bandwidth. Voice Over IP (VoIP) will potentially be the killer application for emerging market like India. In this paper we propose a Kiosk based WiMAX infrastructure model to provide voice connectivity to rural Indian villages. In the proposed kiosk model, plain old telephones are connected to a WiMAX subscriber station using Foreign Exchange Subscriber and a Media Gateway. The novelty of the kiosk based infrastructure models is that it has low deployment cost from a service provider perspective, and almost negligible equipment cost for the end user. In order to make the kiosk based model economically sustainable, the number of simultaneous voice calls that can be supported over the WiMAX subscriber stations needs to be maximized. To this end, the paper proposes a Dynamic Frame Profile algorithm to maximize the number of VoIP calls supported over a single subscriber station. A performance evaluation of the the proposed Dynamic Frame Profile algorithm is also carried out to study its effectiveness and reported in this paper.

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Session 2: Paper 1

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:07:24 +0000

TinyPC: Enabling Low-Cost Internet Access in Developing Regions

Authors: Muneeb Ali and Koen Langendoen (TU Delft, Netherlands)

Abstract: Benefits of the Internet and communication technologies are limited to the world's "First-world" population. Cost factors, low literacy, and limited access to power and bandwidth in developing regions prohibit Internet access for potential developing-world users. Apart from limited communication infrastructure (telephone lines, ISPs, 802.11 long-distance links, etc.) a fundamental road-block in providing Internet access to developing-world users is the lack of affordable end-user computing devices. Most previous attempts to develop inexpensive computing devices were commercial failures as they were unable to keep the retail costs low. In this paper we present the design of TinyPC - a low-cost computing device specifically aimed at providing basic Internet access (web browsing, email) to developing-world users. TinyPC is inspired by recent advances in embedded networked systems (like sensor networks) and we show that, even today, with TinyPC it is possible to connect a developing-world user to the Internet in price ranges well below $100.

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Session 2: Paper 2

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:11:41 +0000

Reliable data collection in highly disconnected environments using mobile phones

Authors: Brian DeRenzi, Yaw Anokwa, Tapan Parikh, and Gaetano Borriello (Univ. of Washington, USA)

Abstract: Over four and a half billion people live in the developing world and require access to services in the financial, agricultural, business, government and healthcare sectors. Due to constraints of the existing infrastructure (power, communications, etc), it is often difficult to deliver these services to remote areas in a timely and efficient manner. The CAM framework has found success as a flexible platform for quickly developing and deploying high-impact applications for these environments. Many of the applications built with CAM have relied on a model where a field worker with a mobile phone regularly returns from a disconnected environment to one with connectivity. In this connected state, the phone and a centralized server can exchange information and get the collected data backed up on reliable media. We propose extending CAM’s networking model to enable continual operation in disconnected environments. Using a set of heterogeneous paths made available through social and geographic relationships naturally present among workers, we describe a system for asynchronously routing data in a best-effort manner.

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Session 3: Paper 1

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:15:05 +0000

DTLSR: Delay Tolerant Routing for Developing Regions

Authors: Michael Demmer (UC Berkeley) and Kevin Fall (Intel Research)

Abstract: We consider the problem of routing in delay tolerant networks deployed in developing regions. Although these environments experience intermittent connectivity (hence the desire to use DTN), in many cases the topology has an underlying stability that we can exploit when designing routing protocols. By making small, yet critical, modifications to classical link state routing, we derive a more effective algorithm capable of leveraging predictions of future link uptimes. We describe a complete and fully-implemented protocol, capable of being deployed in the DTN reference implementation without modification. Using a simulation incorporating real-world network characteristics, we demonstrate that our system operates effectively when conventional routing and forwarding may fail.

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Session 3: Paper 2

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:17:24 +0000

Scalable DTN Distribution over Uni-Directional Links

Authors: Dirk Kutscher (Universität Bremen, Germany), Janico Greifenberg (Dampsoft GmbH, Germany), and Kevin Loos (Universität Bremen, Germany)

Abstract: We present an architecture for scalable DTN communication in sparsely populated areas. Our approach is based on Uni-DTN, a unidirectional DTN convergence layer that we have developed for unicast and multicast distribution of DTN bundles. In this paper, we discuss possible application scenarios, present a suitable distribution architecture and the Uni-DTN convergence layer and describe, how specific features of the DTN bundle specification and DTN communication scenarios can be implemented using Uni-DTN.

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Session 4: Paper 1

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:19:23 +0000

WWTW : The World Wide Telecom Web

Authors: Arun Kumar, Nitendra Rajput, Dipanjan Chakraborty, Sheetal Agarwal, and Amit Nanavati (IBM Research, India)

Abstract: The World Wide Web (WWW) enabled quick and easy information dissemination and brought about fundamental changes to various aspects of our lives. However, a very large number of people, mostly in developing regions, are still untouched by this revolution. Compared to PCs, the primary access mechanism to WWW, mobile phones have made a phenomenal penetration into this population segment. Low cost of ownership, the simple user interface consisting of a small keyboard, limited menu and voice-based access contribute to the success of mobile phones with the less literate. However, apart from basic voice communication, these people are not being able to exploit the benefits of information and services available to WWW users. In this paper, we present the World Wide Telecom Web (WWTW) — our vision of a voice-driven ecosystem parallel to that of the WWW. WWTW is a network of interconnected voice sites that are voice driven applications created by users and hosted in the network. It has the potential to enable the underprivileged population to become a part of the next generation converged networked world. We present a whole gamut of existing technology enablers for our vision as well as present research directions and open challenges that need to be solved to not only realize a WWTW but also to enable the two Webs to cross leverage each other.

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Session 4: Paper 2

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:21:49 +0000

FRACTEL: A Fresh Perspective on (Rural) Mesh Networks

Authors: Kameswari Chebrolu and Bhaskaran Raman (IIT Kanpur, India)

Abstract: The use of commodity 802.11 hardware to provide network connectivity to rural regions is an appealing proposition. In this paper, we consider such networks, with a combination of long-distance and short-distance links. In such a setting, we offer a fresh perspective on a variety of technical issues in multi-hop mesh networks. To support QoS for voice, video-based real-time applications, the use of a TDMA-based MAC is appropriate. In this context, we argue that existing approaches to TDMA scheduling and channel allocation are either inapplicable, or are too general and hence complicated. We apply extensive domain knowledge in designing a solution applicable in our context. We also suggest appropriate implementation strategies for the TDMA MAC, capable of scaling to large networks. In all of the above topics, we articulate open technical issues wherever applicable.

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Session 5: Paper 1

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:24:35 +0000

A Public Transport System Based Sensor Network for Road Surface Condition Monitoring

Authors: Chamath Keppitiyagama, Kasun De Zoysa, Gihan Seneviratne, and Weerathunga Shihan (Univ. of Colombo, Sri Lanka)

Abstract: A well maintained road network is a must for the economic development and the well being of people in any country. Unfortunately, most developing countries do not poses such road networks. While the lack of funds is mainly to blame for not building new road networks and maintaining the existing ones the lack of proper monitoring and reporting system is a major contributory factor for the dilapidated condition of road networks in third world countries. A case in point is the road network in Sri Lanka; Sri Lanka has an extensive road network that spans the country and new roads are being built every day, yet even the roads in the capital city are not maintained properly. The lack of a monitoring and reporting mechanism is apparent in this case. We propose a public transport system based sensor network to monitor road surface condition. We are currently building such a network called BusNet to monitor environmental pollution and that system can be extended for road surface condition monitoring by adding acceleration sensor boards to the system.

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Session 5: Paper 2

Tue, 17 Jul 2007 01:29:42 +0000

An Overview of the AI3 Network: Design and Applications of Satellite Network

Authors: Teruaki Yokoyama (Cyber Univ., Japan), Shoko Mikawa (Keio Univ., Japan), Kenjiro Cho (IIJ, Japan), Jun Takei (Intel, Japan), Suguru Yamaguchi (NAIST, Japan), and Jun Murai (KEIO Univ., Japan)

Abstract: Many developing countries do not get benefits from the Internet as the network infrastructure is not yet built due to economic or administrative restrictions of these region. Asian Internet Interconnection Initiatives (AI3) has been developing a research consortium of 29 partner institutions in 13 countries utilizing an Internet infrastructure over a satellite links. The project aims to develop partnerships and human networks to foster researchers within the regions to carry out research satellite Internet and to develop their regions. We have successfully conducted productive research and also developed a distance-learning environment as a result of more than a decade of experiments. This paper aims to share the operational know-how and results of research from AI3 activities to construct a network and applications that would support developing regions.

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Keynote Speach

Thu, 23 Aug 2007 13:55:51 +0000

Reaching the Unreached: Bridging the Technical and Cultural Network Architecture Divide

by Kevin Fall (Intel Research Berkeley, Intel Corporation)

Abstract: Data communications enabled by the rapid proliferation of wireless cellular and WiFi infrastructure has brought email, the web, voice, and other services to millions of users around the globe. Despite this revolution, many people remain unreached, either because of physical connectivity and performance issues or because of a lack of support for cultural diversity within the network architecture. In this talk I will review the modern evolution in our understanding of data communications, considering the current interest in new Internet architectures and content-oriented networking services. I will also briefly discuss some of the challenges remaining in bridging the cultural gap manifested in the present Internet architecture. These issues are formidable, including many that extend beyond traditional networking problems; concerted attention is needed to ensure the future global network realizes its full culturally-diverse potential.

Kevin Fall is a principal engineer at Intel Corporation’s research laboratory in Berkeley, California, USA. He is co-chair of the Delay Tolerant Networking Research Group (DTNRG), part of the Internet Research Task Force (IRTF) and was elected to the IETF's Internet Architecture Board (IAB) in March 2006. He is also a visiting scholar at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Recently, he was the technical program chair for the first-ever ACM Workshop on Underwater Networking. His research interests include methods for data communication in challenging environments, network architecture, and simulation. Earlier in his career, he was a principal architect of the network simulator NS2 in the mid 90's and author of the open source version of the BSD Unix cat program. Kevin received his academic training from UC Berkeley and UCSD, also he was a postdoctoral scholar for both UCSD and MIT. Kevin helped to start NetBoost Corp which was acquired by Intel in 1999.

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