ASET Technology Alberta Fall 2022 - 27

capstone
Design of Internet Access
for Underserved Rural Areas
- Muskeg Lake Cree Nation Prototype
ACADEMIC INSTITUTION: NAIT
ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY DISCIPLINE:
WIRELESS SYSTEMS ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY
TEAM MEMBERS: PATRICK POTIUK, JEANNE ANSELMO
A
t the outset of this project, the NAIT research
team was contacted by Light Up The World, a
non-profit society, and Muskeg Lake Cree Nation,
an Indigenous community of about 150
residents located about 100 km north of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Internet access in this area is difficult to attain,
of poor quality and expensive. This has put them at a disadvantage
when participating in modern business and learning
opportunities. The research team collected detailed information
about the locations of residents in the community who
are scattered over an 8-km radius. Their band office has a
fiber optic feed from a nearby town, but the rest of the community
has little or no access to the internet. The research
team used tools such as Google Maps, Radio Mobile and Link
Planner modelling software to analyze the radio coverage at
various candidate frequencies. Wireless access points and
subscriber modules were placed in the software to design a
high quality and cost-effective wireless internet service solution
for the community. Two main locations were studied. The
residents near the band office can be served using access
points installed on a tower at the band office using the existing
fiber optic link as a main backhaul to the internet. Another
area near a summer residential area was also studied. This
area can be covered using a mesh Wi-Fi system connected
to a StarLink satellite terminal for the internet backhaul. The
system was designed remotely in Edmonton, and a complete
prototype was built and tested in the NAIT labs. The design
and results were given to the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation representatives,
and they are now considering the installation of
the system.
PATRICK POTIUK: My name is Patrick Potiuk, and I graduated
NAIT as a mature student during the pandemic. I am a
Metis individual born and raised in northern Alberta. I spent
my 20s working in the hospitality and tourism industry, but
always had a passion for technology. I was fortunate enough
to pursue this passion when the COVID lockdowns pushed
me to make the choice to return to school. I was very excited
to work with the NAIT staff and students to investigate and
produce a prototype with the intention of developing internet
access for underserved communities.
JEANNE ANSELMO: I am a recent graduate of the wireless
systems engineering technology program from NAIT. I also
graduated from the mechanical engineering technology program
at NAIT in 2019. I think that NAIT does a good job of
preparing students on what to expect in the work field, not
only with the physical work itself but also with workplace expectations.
While applying for technology programs, I got an
email from the wireless systems engineering technology program;
at first I did not know anything about this program at all
nor know anything about wireless technology in general. This
program has made me realize the importance of telecommunication,
as well as wireless technology as a whole, and how
it is constantly improving each day. I was born in the Philippines
but for the past nine years I have been residing in Edmonton.
My main interest and hobby right now is learning and
looking into anything related to computer customization. That
includes building a PC, making your own custom keyboard,
modifying a mouse, or just general desktop setup.
TECHNOLOGY ALBERTA | FALL 2022 | 27
ASET Technology Alberta Fall 2022

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