[wsfii-discuss] Economic Sustainability of Community Wireless(sorry had to resend due to incorrect hyperlink)

Thu Apr 5 12:45:53 UTC 2007

Ashish,

As usual you speak sharp, practical and clear again.
What we need is outsiders/ marketing / pr / design type of talent to
push your (and our) vision. All the pieces are there. Low cost Mesh is
a reality (TibTec build one in Dhasa, Magip.net build one in Goa).
Solar panels are manufactured in Kerala, low cost. WiFi (Skype)
handsets are becoming mass products as we speak.

I just can't believe that no large tech company like Linksys/Cisco or
a Taiwanese OEM manufacturer or Intel just picks this up and starts to
invest in multiple pilots and then let the communities replicate the
best practises...

We need a financial shot in the arm or we at WSFII are just a fun hacker club.

Thanks Freddy
Magip.net

On 4/5/07, Assoc of Public ICT Tools Access Prov <list at apiap.org> wrote:
>
>
> Hi Jeff ,
>      IMHO, The issue is multi dimensional.  We are creating a supply &
> demand simultaneously. Thus we need to bring in Tech, social,
> Entrepreneurial mind together . Thus the answer will come only if you bring
> in people outside the wireless community & talk to them of solution.  They
> will help you identify a killer app.
>
> Today rural folks in Asia or Africa is not soo tech savvy as his European
> counterpart . to evaluate whats best for him in long term .  They just
> lap-up whats available , packaged well & dependable.
>
> Now  let me attempt an analogy, Some of us met at Dharamshala - for Airjaldi
> event . The town is in one of the poorest federal state of India , Himachal
> Pradesh.
>
> The Per capita Income is just 1/10th of Finland .  But almost 1 in 6 own a
> mobile phone ! . & for most the cost of communication is almost 10% of their
> family budget.
> http://www.mobilepundit.com/2006/11/26/every-6th-person-in-himachal-has-a-mobile/
>
>
> The poor Himchalis have no choice but to buy it , cause there is a long
> waiting line for POTs  &  the service is just not dependable.  & there is no
> one to offer an alternative untill the cell phones came in.
>
> Now 70% of the network is owned a by single operator & 70% of Handsets are
> supplied by the finnish company Nokia.
>
> Now won't it be an exciting proposition to help them slash the budget by a
> third. ie 3%  ( = to world average )
>
> So if Voice is a killer app & if you can help bring a plan where you can not
> only reduce your budget  & maybe as well Profit from Participation, like a
> FON http://www.fon.com/en/ . by investing nominal money.
>
> Ofcourse there are lot of  issues involved . we need to work out on to
> optimise on a matrix of the topology which will require least access point &
>  maximum people participating , thus spreading the cost.
>
> The initial seed capital .... & many other issues.
>
> If we present with say 5 application areas / solutions .  The community will
> come forward and align with the solution which is to their best interest.
>
> Ok I spoke enough may be its time for a feast for some of you . :)
>
> Ashish
>
>
> On 4/5/07, jeff buderer <jeff at onevillagefoundation.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Ashish,
> >
> >
> >
> > Thanks for the comments. This reminds me of the Motoman projects that
> First Mile Solutions has been involved with in India , Cambodia and Rwanda .
> >
> > http://www.firstmilesolutions.com/
> >
> >
> >
> > So if we could consider the India Telecom approach as a potential model,
> how would we address funding CWN effort in terms of cost sharing the
> infrastructure, sustaining operational costs and replication/expanding to
> other regions? Can you help me to understand the specifics?
> >
> >
> >
> > Jeff
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org
> [mailto:wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org] On Behalf Of
> Assoc of Public ICT Tools Access Prov
> > Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 6:45 AM
> > To: Discuss list on the World Summit on Free Information Infrastructure
> > Subject: Re: [wsfii-discuss] Economic Sustainability of Community
> Wireless(sorry had to resend due to incorrect hyperlink)
> >
> >
> >
> > Lindsey, Jeff, Ian
> >       I completely agree  with your observations.
> >  I pointed out in our panel Discussion on: Business Models for Community
> Wireless Networks held at Dharamsala .  about India's early 1980s experiment
> in bringing the telephone penetration into rural area.  The trick was a
> simple  business model of  " Public Call Office " ( PCO ) .
> >
> > A simple 'plug and play '  telephone instrument &  billing machine  did
> the trick in exponentially increasing the telecom reach.
> >
> > The community wireless can easily repeat the story provided  you make
> participation in network simple , prosperous & address some immediate needs.
> >
> > Best wishes
> > Ashish Saboo
> > Association of Public ICT Tools Access Provider
> > URL : http://www.apiap.org
> > Blog: http://apiap.blogspot.com
> > News: http://internetcafenews.blogspot.com
> > alt email : apiap at rediffmail.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 3/30/07, Ian Howard < ihoward at netdotworking.com> wrote:
> >
> > Lindsey, Jeff,
> >
> > Indeed, I would like to second what Jeff suggests, though there are
> > differing view within the community for the role of business in free
> > information infrastructures, there is at least a consensus that
> > sustainable models are required to support these infrastructures. There
> > is also, I might add, a vast difference in the interests (at least from
> > an economic perspective) between groups who are focused on community
> > networks in developed economies, to those who are working in developing
> > economies. I suggest that we not try and lump them together, as the
> > strategies and economic foundations are completely different, IMHO.
> >
> > In the upcoming release of the WNDW book, we intend to add in this
> > section, that is an "Economic Sustainability" section of the book. This
> > is a topic that we have been dedicated to for the past number of years,
> > since our time at Geekcorps Mali. There is a growing interest in this
> > topic and generally in the economic models to support free
> > infrastructures. This chapter will, of course, focus on developing world
> > applications.
> >
> > Ian
> >
> > Adapted Consulting
> >
> >
> > jeff buderer wrote:
> > > Lindsey,
> > >
> > > One related issue may be a misconception by some that WSFII is
> > > anti-business. Several have commented on this to me personally. It may
> > > be that many of us are anti-corporate status quo but that does not mean
> > > we are anti-business or anti-corprorate. Most of us here (it seems) do
> > > want to find a viable way to do what we are doing as it relates to
> > > wireless and so that means business/social enterprise development. Some
> > > of us are even open to in the right conditions working with corporations
> > > to get our work more widely known and to provide funding to sustain our
> > > work.
> > >
> > > It was my uderstanding that a focus point/goal for the Air Jaldi Summit
> > > was to investigate sustainable business models for wireless networks.
> > > However it is not clear to me what was actually gained on a practical
> > > level and what if there was any exploration in terms of how to build
> > > economically sustainable wireless networks particularly in emerging
> > > markets.
> > >
> > > Apparently very few people attended Laura Drewett's Workshop "Economics
> > > of Small Wireless Networks
> > >
> http://summit.airjaldi.com/home/program/workshops/economics-for-small-se
> > > rvice-operators/" (also some great resources here
> > > http://resources.airjaldi.com/?page_id=23)at AJS.
> > >
> > > Possibly there is a bit too much focusing on the engineering and
> > > technical solutions and not enough on making the business model work.
> > > This complements an effective strategy of promotion. Furthermore we need
> > > a "complete ecosystem approach" that combines the best of breed
> > > technologies and approaches to develop networks that can be scaled and
> > > replicated moving the whole network forward in terms of as you say
> > > "hitting the mark".
> > >
> > > The three main considerations I see are:
> > > 1. Economic sustainability - Enable weaning off of grants and towards
> > > incuation of local ICT related ventures esp in emerging markets 2.
> > > Social infrastructure -  Social/technological/economic
> infrastucture
> > > integrated is necessary to ensure network sustainability. 3. Technology
> > > innovations - with good integrated with the economic and social
> > > innovations in the network (1 & 2)
> > >
> > > I would like to see the Economic Sustainability of Community Wireless as
> > > a major theme at the WSFII Africa 2007 Summit. I will begin work to
> > > incorporate the issue  of economic sustainability and (complementary to
> > > this marketing) into our planning for the Summit.
> > >
> > > Possibly we could use the materials in your email as a starting point
> > > for planning a session on the effective promotion of community wireless
> > > networks.
> > >
> > > A capstone session could include people getting together in a workgroup
> > > (along the lines of what I had proposed for AJS
> > >
> http://summit.airjaldi.com/wiki/index.php/Integrated.Development.Approac
> > > h) and looking at the best practices in wireless network with an eye for
> > > integration. We can then consider as part of the workshop not just a
> > > peicemeal approach but consider how we can effectively integrate all the
> > > pieces to great compelling projects that speak for themselves. This
> > > would include consideration of how to build business models to maximize
> > > the replication of these wsfii projects.
> > >
> > > Jeff
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > This post, combined with the previous one about creating video footage
> > > about wsfii type projects, are of great interest to me personally as
> > > they have cropped up in UK conversations for several years, and
> > > particularly recently.
> > >
> > > It has always seemed to be one area where community wi-fi/broadband
> > > networks haven't always hit the mark - whether with governments,
> > > funders, local authorities, establishing credibility with consumers etc.
> > > Mainly, it has seemed, cos we are so busy trying to get the solutions to
> > > work, that there is little time for self-promotion.
> > >
> > > In each community, and globally, we have a mix of skills. Techies,
> > > support, coders, promoters, grant seekers etc.
> > >
> > > I would like to propose, in light of the posts about case studies and
> > > video footage, that we get together those who are very interested in the
> > > marketing and promotion side of community broadband networks, and talk
> > > amongst ourselves. Just from last week's talks with Freifunk and
> > > Funkfeuer for some EU research for the rural broadband conference in
> > > Brussels in May, we have found that we have contacts between us covering
> > > most of the EU, and then some in US, Asia and Australia. Errr... in
> > > fact, global contacts!! After all, this community broadband world is not
> > > very big, yet. ;o)
> > >
> > > If everyone could decide which event to go to this summer in EU (!),
> > > perhaps we could have one track for those of us interested in promoting
> > > community broadband activity, and tie it in with the amazing work coming
> > > from the other side of the Atlantic through Sasha, Alison etc, and in
> > > Asia, and start making a much bigger impact by working together.
> > >
> > > Or just start it all online through a separate list about promotional
> > > activity to get the word out about the grassroots' efforts ongoing
> > > across the world?
> > >
> > > I'm happy to be amongst the UK/EU contacts more than happy to get
> > > involved in that type of work, and push to get together TV/video
> > > footage, and publicise the case studies etc created by us all wherever
> > > we are.
> > >
> > > Let's JFDI?!
> > >
> > > ATB
> > > Lindsey Annison
> > > l.annisonatgmail.com
> > > Co-founder, Access to Broadband Campaign
> > > http://www.ABCampaign.org
> > > Founder member, Community Broadband Network http://www.broadband-uk.coop
> > >
> > > Author: JFDI Community Broadband: Wennington
> > > http://www.lulu.com/content/488550
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Association of Public ICT Tools Access Provider
> > http://www.apiap.org
> > _______________________________________________
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> > wsfii-discuss at lists.okfn.org
> > http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/wsfii-discuss
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Association of Public ICT Tools Access Provider
> http://www.apiap.org
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