Broadband Network Simulations Towards Cost Assessments: Case of a Namibian Rural Healthcare

Abstract

Broadband connection has gradually become a vital component of communities, particularly in rural regions. Access to services, particularly in healthcare, is critical, and the internet may significantly facilitate related services, specifically telehealth. Video connections among healthcare practitioners for medical services may become a reality in remote areas. Broadband network alternatives encompass Television Whitespaces (TVWS). The issue, however, is that telehealth services cannot be sufficiently supported in rural hospitals due to restricted broadband internet connection resulting from expenses. This study aimed to address the research hypothesis, “The deployment of TVWS networks are cost effective when compared to fixed LTE in the Kunene region, for rural healthcare services”. A positivist paradigm was utilized in the study's approach. This paradigm supports experimental designs. Network simulation experiments were conducted in testing the study's hypothesis. A rural setting in the Kunene region was selected as the study area for this research. The data collection methods included simulations. Data analysis involved simulations of TVWS and fixed LTE broadband networks, from which the necessary infrastructure mapping was derived. Network standards, particularly those for high-performance networks, were deemed essential for facilitating telehealth application connections in rural regions. Cost assessments were carried out based on the simulations and network infrastructure requirements (technical design). This paper conducted network simulations towards network performance and cost assessment as outcomes.