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Purpose This paper aims to compare the costs of deploying different wireless terrestrial broadband technologies in the Andes and Amazon Regions of Peru. These areas are representatives of different and challenging geographic regions throughout the globe that currently are severely underserved or unserved for vital broadband services necessary to bridge the “Digital Divide”. Design/methodology/approach The broadband technologies studied include Wi-Fi, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), long term evolution (LTE), TVWS and new stratospheric platforms (super-pressure balloons). This study conducts a technical analysis (design and simulation) of wireless broadband networks, and a bottom-up engineering cost analysis to estimate and compare the deployment and operating costs of the networks over a 10-year period. The analysis also identifies potential regulatory barriers to deployment associated with spectrum allocation licenses and overbooking requirements intended to improve quality of service. Findings Comparison of the capital and operating expenses of these options over a 10-year period finds that LTE and Wi-Fi can be the lowest cost alternatives, though significantly, stratospheric balloons have the lowest initial costs for the first few years and can factor as a low-cost broadband catalyst early in deployment. Finally, the lowest cost technology broadband roadmap for the 10-year period is presented, which includes using stratospheric balloons (carrying micro-LTE base stations) for the first years and deploying complementary terrestrial LTE networks for the rest of the 10-year period. Originality/value This study presents detailed technical and engineering cost analysis results of wireless access network deployments, including advanced wireless technologies and new unmanned aerial systems, to expand broadband services to rural areas in mountainous (Andes Region) and rainforest (Amazon Region) geographies to reduce the digital divide in emerging countries. Results aim to aid governments, regulators, internet service providers (incumbents and competitive) and content providers to assess current alternatives to expand broadband service in these rural areas.

WBLAN design and EDX simulation results-Yauli (Andes Region) and Samugari (Amazon Region) study areas .

Applications of polymer post processing of silicon on insulator (SoI) devices are demonstrated. Polymer overlays on SoI nanophotonic circuits are used, on the one hand, to improve optical antenna transception for an any-one-to-all array and, on the other hand, a similar photodefinable coating is used to passively tune the dispersive characteristics of waveguides embedded in photonic crystals. Discussion is given to the polymer formulation. Coating that requires infiltration into voids with dimension 100 nm and less demands optimized wetting properties from the pre-cured polymer-in-solution. Atomic Force and Scanning Electron micrographs and Zygo interferometer image illustrate the quality of the post-photo-definition, cured coatings. Transmission measurements show a 10 dB improvement in the received signal level for a coated versus uncoated antenna pair radiating and receiving at 1550 nm. Wavelength dependent transmission measurements on waveguides in photonic crystals demonstrate that tuning can be affected in post processing performed after foundry fabrication. Careful formulation of the polymer for nano infiltration allows for tuning without increased attenuation.Nanophotonic, optical antenna, photonic crystal, polymer infiltration, propagation. Downloaded From: http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org/ on 06/28/2016 Terms of Use: http://spiedigitallibrary.org/ss/TermsOfUse.aspx Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8173 81730H-7 Downloaded From: http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org/ on 06/28/2016 Terms of Use: http://spiedigitallibrary.org/ss/TermsOfUse.aspx Proc. of SPIE Vol. 8173 81730H-8 Downloaded From: http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org/ on 06/28/2016 Terms of Use: http://spiedigitallibrary.org/ss/TermsOfUse.aspx