[wsfii-discuss] Fw: public demand for information technology

Thu Sep 21 16:15:06 UTC 2006

My 2 cents:

-Word "replacement" doesn't sounds realistic to me. Might even sound as 
a joke to someone. Preserve coexistence of them looks as a smarter goal.
-There is no "single" (low or expensive) radios capable to huge amount 
of users. Simply they don't exist, at least yet. Talking in present, 
what is needed now is to demonstrate that is possible to get same effect 
by combining lots of them.
-Enterprises can collaborate if they are motivated in terms of 
professional services, maintenance or content that they can provide to 
the networks, to expect them only motivated by margins while selling 
hardware is a contradiction in what is wanted to achieve. There is a 
need for network actors providing a real value add, not "traders only".
-Innovation usually never comes from governments, to make them 
understand something we must first demonstrate that is viable. Once 
there is a network of a few hundreds, not all of them techies, some 
local administrations might start to understand and collaborate (after, 
not before). If still grows, then maybe a larger administration. Don't 
ask me why, but when a governor is somewhat visionary in terms of 
technology, very likely fails, so it can be dangerous because very often 
ends with another failure story..It's important to understand that we 
have to go for breaking boundaries and have that mentality, not just 
delegate this to others.
-Same applies to general people: They join only when understand and feel 
it real, in the meantime, it's for visionaries, techies, etc. Doesn't 
matter if developed/developing. I mean, once they know that they are in 
the coverage of a neutral network, they will join and create a demand 
which is going a be difficult to attend without collapse, the difficulty 
is to make them understand what they have to do in order to get that 
coverage.

So what makes sense to me is to fight for an habitat (free spectrum's), 
and then, use it building networks. It's difficult to ask for help if 
before there is a small visibility of what we are doing and that we are 
capable to provide results.

Cheers,
Ramon.

En/na Dave Hughes ha escrit:
> -----Original Message-----
> From: wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org
> [mailto:wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org] On Behalf Of Ken DiPietro
> Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 8:09 AM
> To: Discuss list on the World Summit on Free Information Infrastructure
> Subject: Re: [wsfii-discuss] Fw: public demand for information technology
>
> The next step is going to be replacing the existing telecommunications 
> infrastructure in many of these cases with licensed exempt equipment (as 
> Dave mentions in a later post) even if there is a modest fee to help pay 
> for the infrastructure build. I believe this will be brought about by a 
> combination of three factors; 1.) a drop in the cost of very high 
> bandwidth radios capable of servicing huge numbers of people, 2.) the 
> understanding by local entrepreneurs that an investment in this 
> equipment will be good for their profit margins as motivation to deploy 
> this type of infrastructure, 3.) local governments will understand that 
> economic development will benefit by allowing these networks to be built 
> which will be good for their tax revenues - because, let's face it, that 
> is what every government I am familiar with is concerned with.
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Ken DiPietro
>
> -----
>
> The trouble is that there can be BIG obstacles - almost all political - to
> get 'local governments' AND national governments to 'replace existing
> telecommunications infrastructures' with low use-cost license exempt
> telecommunications. There are many vested political and business interests
> that will, and do, lobby against governments changing the rules that made
> them rich with the 'old' infrastructure. That is just as true in the US and
> other developed countries as in India, Nepal, or Indonesia. Witness the
> battles going on right now in the US Congress over 'net neutrality' which
> has all the big telephone companies lined up against all the muni-wireless
> advocates and practitioners)
>
> Among the messages I am bringing to the Aljaldi Wireless Summit in
> Dharmasala, India next month, are suggested ways to convince administrations
> their legislatures, AND their bureaucrats and Media, to embrace the new,
> disruptive, net infrastructures. Just because it is 'good for the people'
> does not mean its also 'good for the bottom line of incumbents.' Or revenues
> for government itself.  
>
> Mahibir's success in getting the Nepalese government to make unlicensed
> wireless 'legal' was laudable. Not sure it will be that fast or easy in many
> other countries. And VOIP is still not legal there.
>
>    
> Dave Hughes
> dave at oldcolo.com
> www.linkingeverest.com
>
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