Seed node deployment for wireless mesh networks with uncertain subscription

Infrastructure wireless mesh networks promise a flexible and cost-effective means for providing last-mile delivery for broadband access, particularly in rural areas. Each customer forwards traffic between their neighbors and an Internet gateway, thus providing high coverage for little upfront investment. However, particularly during the early stages of deployment, seed nodes may be necessary to provide acceptable levels of coverage. This is particularly problematic since it is generally unknown in advance which households will subscribe. In this paper we present an optimization algorithm for the placement of seed nodes under uncertain user subscription. Experimentation with the algorithm is used to demonstrate the trade-off between coverage and infrastructure investment at various levels of consumer demand.