Students wishing to send e-mail and browse the Web using their own computer from any location may have a solution in Ohio State’s newly discovered technology.

OSU’s Office of the Chief Information Officer has teamed up with the Internet2 Technology Evaluation Center-Ohio and the American Distance Education Consortium, to develop a Transportable Satellite Internet System for advanced Internet technology.

Bob Dixon, chief research engineer for the Office of the CIO, said he likes to call it Internet-To-Go. It provides high-speed Internet connectivity for computers, telephones and Personal Digital Assistants anywhere.

“For example, you could operate your laptop computer in the middle of a jungle or desert, just as if you were in your own office or room at home,” Dixon said.

The TSIS delivers wired and wireless Internet connectivity to any building, event or remote site. Its local wireless capability penetrates the walls of a nearby building providing normal connectivity inside the building that supports multiple computers.

For example, an OSU professor could be doing field research, such as an archeological dig in the mountains, and at the same time teach class back at OSU by showing students the dig research remotely, using video conferencing.

Faculty in the field could also analyze their data on a computer back at OSU, or even use a supercomputer as if they were in their own office.

“How we do this is by pulling a trailer behind a van to the needed location. Then it takes only about 20 minutes to set it up and get it working,” Dixon said.

The trailer carries the satellite, and at the desired location the satellite is hooked up to an antenna that will receive response from another satellite.

One of the main goals of the TSIS is to aid in education and research and establish statewide systems of learning centers with distance education to improve the accessibility of higher education.

The TSIS will notably boost telecommunications opportunities for education, research, human services, medicines and government where standard Internet connectivity is limited or nonexistent.

Karen Bruns, director of OSU Outreach Programs, used the TSIS technology at a distance learning conference.

“The technology is great. One of the great things about it was we didn’t have to worry about what room did or did not have access to the Internet,” Bruns said.

Bruns also said that participants at the conference could access the presenters Web page at any location in the room.

Government projects involving national defense and disaster response and recovery can also benefit from TSIS technology.

“The TSIS addresses many of the needs raised in the Homeland Security Act of 2002, signed by President Bush in November,” said Alan Escovitz, director of External Affairs for the CIO.

Escovitz notes many ways the university can profit from such a beneficial technology, such as partnerships between local communities and OSU with other university faculty and staff.

The TSIS technology also opens up many possibilities for communities that don’t have Internet connectivity to participate in video conferencing and other Web activities from where they are.