Re: [DC3] Thoughts on Community Infrastructure

Another way to think of it is that CN's don't "coexist". They exist on their own as open connectivity that uses any available means to interconnect rather than being a "network". Think about an Ethernet using a coaxial cable or local radios. They are just facilities like sidewalks. Within your home telecom is not an issue and that's also try as far as you can extend connectivity among your neighbors. The challenge then is how to reach the rest of the world. In this case the telecommunications infrastructure is an asset -- you can buy passage from them. It is inexpensive if you have a community doing the purchasing rather than buying at retail. Typically commercial buyers don't have the same restrictions as retail purchasers. The value is created your devices using the CN so the telecommunications business model is not sustainable. OK, now the reality check. There can be perverse laws as the one in Germany that made it illegal to have an open access point. Fortunately the courts there recently overturned that rule. Generally commercial connections have few restrictions but there are no guarantees. These restrictions aren't necessarily about greedy telecom but efforts implement societal policies in the wires (as in the rules on open access points). This is why it is important to set examples where we can. For this purpose the telecommunications industry is a resource we can use to reach the rest of the world. It doesn't matter whether we use wires or radios. Sure, it would be nice if the wireless space wasn't locked down but increasingly wireless is more important for local connectivity. Once we reach a wire or fiber we can reach the world. My issue is less with telecom than CNs that are implement in the telecommunications model as with city-owned broadband using the same business model as telecom. CN's implemented as open connectivity a new framing that treats wires, radios and telecom as a resource. Once we take the resource view we can mix and match any means available. In addition to buying passage from telecoms we can also look at universities, corporations and others to drive the process. At some point governments will realize the idea of limiting us to profitable speech is bad policy but that will only happen as we demonstrate what we can do with open connectivity. While I see common carriage (AKA, network neutrality) is not sufficient policy, such rules limit the restrictions on commercial accounts in countries such as the US. -----Original Message----- From: dc3-bounces(a)listas.altermundi.net [mailto:dc3-bounces@listas.altermundi.net] On Behalf Of Diego Vicentin Sent: Thursday, June 2, 2016 16:50 To: Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity <dc3(a)listas.altermundi.net> Subject: Re: [DC3] Thoughts on Community Infrastructure Dear Bob and dear Nico, thanks for sharing your thoughts. This is just a quick reaction to it and Bob's text. Although I completely agree with Bob's distinction between Internet and Telecommunication, I'd like to point out that the telecommunications industry is stronger than never. Telecom operators are basically enforcing their old "business model" over the internet that is increasingly understood as a service towards a consumer or "end-user" (not as internetworking). Telco's attempt to impose "data caps" model in cable services is only a recent example of scarcity creation between many others. CNs are indeed an important alternative to avoid the scarcity regime by relying on local engagement and technology. But, CNs have to coexist with Telecom industry since the latter will not simply disappear. For this reason I suggest that an important task for this group (DC3) in regard to IGF and other "governance bodies" (like ITU) is defining principles to establish fair coexistence, especially in terms of interconnection (traffic exchange) and radio spectrum access that seem to be two key factors to CNs' operation and expansion. best wishes, Diego Em 01/06/16 11:16, Bob Frankston escreveu: abetted by money). sources of income to the ... alternative for our ability to communicate. "consumers" create profit. wrong. distribution system. _______________________________________________ DC3 mailing list DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3