The following is from a grant application I am submitting to use HaLowLink-1 as communication system in an area without cell service. I look forward to feedback, it will only make the system better!
Backgound:
I am part of an off-grid island community of about 70 lots. Over the past decade we’ve made investments to enhance its readiness for medical and wildfire emergencies. However, roughly 35 lots at one end of the community have inconsistent or no cellular coverage. This area has critical infrastructure including the dock (used for emergency marine evacuations), emergency helipad (an open field), first-aid shed (including an AED), community water tanks for fires, and multiple firefighting equipment sheds (Figure 1). During urgent and emergent events, community members with cellular data coordinate via WhatsApp chat.
Figure 1: Map of current cellular “dead zones” & community resource locations
The Solution
To provide coverage to dead-zones, I am proposing deploying 5-10 HaLowLink 1 access points over approx. 35 acres to create a dedicated, low-cost emergency communications network. By using strategically placed 900MHz HaLow WiFi bridges which have 2.4GHz access points, residents will have access to reliable real-time text-based communication on personal cell phones in key locations. Pending a grant application (June 2025 if successful) we will be able to purchase 5 HaLowLink-1 for “Phase 1”. In Phase 2 (2026?), I hope to add another 5 HaLowLink-1 (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Proposed network nodes & coverage
If successful in our grant application, I plan to provide community outreach and technical and non-technical documentation. Here in British Columbia, affordable wide-area coverage with the HaLowLink-1 is perfect to cover rural properties, dense forested areas, and challenging topography. Enhanced connectivity will vastly improve emergency response strategy, allowing faster coordination during critical events, smarter safety equipment deployment, and build a more resilient community
Why HaLowLink-1?
- Wide coverage (1km) - off grid = very little RF interference!
- Usable data rates (15–32 Mbps) with existing communication tools (cell phones, WiFi Calling & WhatsApp)
- Ultra low power (2.5W) compared to conventional WiFi (20–55W) reduces costs from $2,500 to $150 per node largely due to a smaller power system required.
- non-line-of-sight (nLOS) & mesh networking (802.11s) WiFi protocol; enables deeper penetration around topography, dense foliage, and buildings
- Using the HaLow Link 1 platform, I will save approx. $50,000 in this deployment.
At locations within the community, I plan to use the following solar, battery and networking hardware: 30W solar pannel, 20,000mAh battery bank, HaLowLink-1.
Figures have been modified to protect privacy.
Questions I have or be testing:
- How will the mesh (802.11s) function in this environment? Should I explore B.A.T.M.A.N. for this deployment.
- Can multiple back-haul (there’s internet in some spots of the development) for a dual-WAN setup for added redundancy.
- Usage tracking; will be monitoring the network with a Raspberry Pi for statistics and some basic network control.
- How portable is the HaLowLink-1 unit? Can it be used portably in a vehicle within the 900MHz coverage zone created by the other units?
- What would you like me to test (I’m open to tinkering!)?