Intel says it has developed a new technology that could bring a signal to rural areas for a couple of hundred dollars. The company's just-announced "Rural Connectivity Platform" (RCP) is said to extend the reach of a conventional WiFi signal to 60 miles, using specialized software and an antenna that can transmit data at around 6.5 megabits per second. What's more, a single RCP device costs $500 and consumes so little power that it can be run off of a solar panel. No word yet on when we'll start seeing RCP.
For more about Intel's new technology:
- see this article from Technology Review