[wsfii-discuss] Economic Sustainability of CommunityWireless

Mon Apr 9 18:45:21 UTC 2007

Very Good Vickram. This is exactly the kind of valuable content we want
to spread to the word. My thinking is that a wsfii blog would be a good
first step in terms of integrating our work and the networks to promote
wsfii and community wireless networks to the work with a focus on
economically empowering wireless/ict solutions for the grassroots.

The world also needs to know about India's leadership on these
initiatives.

Jeff

-----Original Message-----
From: wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org
[mailto:wsfii-discuss-bounces at lists.okfn.org] On Behalf Of Vickram
Crishna
Sent: Thursday, April 05, 2007 8:24 PM
To: Discuss list on the World Summit on Free Information Infrastructure
Subject: Re: [wsfii-discuss] Economic Sustainability of
CommunityWireless(sorry had to resend due to incorrect hyperlink)

One of the ways in which to get such mass approval is,
as usual in this urbanified world, municipal wireless.
Pune city, one of India's largest cities, has
announced that is going to be a total hotspot soon,
using a mix of wifi and wimax to take broadband to
every corner. We're talking millions of people,
hundreds of thousands of housing units spread out over
a gigantic plateau city of hills, encompassing both
the mind-bogglingly rich and the very poor. 

Now it is up to manufacturers of wifi handsets to
check out the market there, enabling local citizens to
explore practical pricing mechanisms. Assuming of
course, that the actual model followed allows for
creative exploration of such an innovative
environment. So far, there is no indication of whether
any of the service offerings will be 'free' to access
or use. Or not.

In a recent series of articles on applied innovation
in India and China (comparisons are the flavour of the
day) published in India as well as in the US, authors
point out that the approach in China is to invest a
little money to try out a number of models on the
ground, putting the massive weight of the totalitarian
state behind the model that works, while Indians tend
to analyse each model as applied elsewhere before
setting local rules. The disadvantage of this reasoned
approach is of course that many things take much
longer to disseminate, even to the point of missing
the bus. 

Pune city is the first big example of the Chinese
model being used in India, at least to the point of
experimenting with wireless as a viable alternative
medium to cable (fiber and copper). 

--- Fred Pook <fredpook at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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,
> > >
> 
=== message truncated ===

Vickram

___________________________________________________________ 
Copy addresses and emails from any email account to Yahoo! Mail - quick,
easy and free. http://uk.docs.yahoo.com/trueswitch2.html

_______________________________________________
wsfii-discuss mailing list
wsfii-discuss at lists.okfn.org
http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/wsfii-discuss