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

Fri Mar 30 16:50:52 UTC 2007

Niiice ian!

When do you expect WNDW book to be out?

Ian Howard 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 
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> wsfii-discuss mailing list
>> wsfii-discuss at lists.okfn.org
>> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/wsfii-discuss
>>
>> !DSPAM:1,460d37a84098914163420!
>>
>>   
>>     
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> wsfii-discuss mailing list
> wsfii-discuss at lists.okfn.org
> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/wsfii-discuss
>
>
>   