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Abstract
Background: The Weibull distribution is one of the most important lifetime distributions in applied statistics. Weibull analysis is the leading method in the world for fitting and analyzing lifetime data. We discuss one of the earliest decision support system for the assessment of a distribution for the parameters of the Weibull reliability model using expert information. We then present a different approach to assess the parameters distribution.
Objectives: The studies mentioned in this paper aimed to construct a distribution of the parameters of the Weibull reliability model and apply it in the domain of Maintenance Optimization.
Method: The parameters of the Weibull reliability model are considered random variables and a distribution for the parameters is assessed using informed judgment in the form of reliability estimates from vendor information, engineering knowledge or experience in the field.
Results: The results are the development of modern maintenance optimization models that can be embodied in decision support systems.
Conclusion: While the information management part is important in the building of maintenance optimization decision systems, the accuracy of the mathematical and statistical algorithms determines the level of success of the maintenance solution.

Building networks in rural areas is difficult because of the tough rural environments and low return to the service operators on investment. Rural networking and their applications in education, health, community development, and business development are essential to the daily life for both inhabitants and visitors. They further bring opportunities in job and business which play a key role in developing most underdeveloped rural areas. Moreover, rural communication will grow with the initial investment in rural networking. It will become the major communication market and generate large profits to service operators and equipment manufacturers. Wireless networking is generally considered a solution to these difficulties in rural conditions. Compared with the wireline construction, setting up wireless networks is faster, more flexible, and less expensive. In addition, many new and advanced wireless technologies have enabled universal communication to rural and remote areas in a profitable manner. Yet special technological requirements need to be met for wireless networking to become feasible in rural areas.

Wide rural areas are often short of basic communication facilities and suffer from harsh geographic and climatic environments. Wireless networks which offer ease of operation and low maintenance cost appears to be a fast and feasible choice for service operators to install their individual networks. We first propose a refined wireless networking method to foster communication construction in rural areas. A one-pipefour-layer wireless simulation model, called Service Model, is highlighted in the paper to implement the network planning method. The Service Model collects raw data from given rural areas and abstracts these data by flowing them through four technical layers to form the predicted technical wireless network. Thereafter, a software simulation environment, BrwsLi, is coded in freeware Scilab to realize the Service Model for the sake of instantiation. This simulation environment is able to set up a specified rural network by constructing topology for the network on the depicted areas, simulate the network traffic, and evaluate network performance and economic efficiency. The Newcastle region in KwaZulu-Natal of South Africa is chosen as the sample of real-world cases to demonstrate how to practically apply Service Model and present how to operate BrwsLi properly.

Information and communication technology (ICT) has taken a centre stage in the day to day activities of people in every country today, from social interactions to business and pleasure. The technologically advanced countries have been experiencing rapid changes in their way of life, through the fruits of research and developments in ICT. Many developing countries have also joined to contribute to global advancement in ICT and have indeed made fundamental changes to the lifestyle and working habit of their people.