Reliable Internet Connectivity for Relay of Live Broadcasts to Satellite from Remote Tropical Areas: Lessons from a GSM Link Aggregation Solution

Internet service provision is a business that continues to grow owing to the ever- increasing demand of Internet users on reliable Internet in both private and corporate spheres. Currently, many businesses are wholly dependent on the Internet for conducting their businesses. However, high bandwidth Internet service providers are common seen in the urban areas and cities where it is believed the majority of their clients are located. This trend has left many prospective businesses and activities in the remote areas that require high Internet connections without any reliable Internet facility to drive their operations. This paper is the result of a technical brainstorming that culminated to realizing a high Internet bandwidth and reliable connectivity that met and drove the live transmission of religious broadcasts to the Satellite port (for onward relay to global satellite subscribers) from remote tropical areas using mobile gsm link aggregation strategy as against the conventional VSAT connectivity. This paper features a cost-effective solution using an aggregator circuit and pooled mobile data connections MTN, GLO, AIRTEL, and ETISALAT which were the common cellular services that are readily available in the locations in question. This arrangement was tested using an 8-hour high definition video broadcast of a live religious outreach to a geostationary Satellite port for global view.