Re: [DC3] ITU Council seeking input on how Community Networks increase Internet connectivity

On Mon, Jun 1, 2020, 00:06 &lt;dc3(a)bob.ma&gt; wrote: without being told how to use it Precisely. That explains how Internet differs from Telecom. and without having to tithe a provider. tithe is a word undeserved here. Taxes. The revenue models of gathering seemingly small sums of money rivals taxation models that isn't as all-encompassing as Telecom and cable revenues. Small sums adding up to a pile that surpasses that of the taxman. > Bob Frankston > https://Frankston.com > *From:* dc3-bounces(a)listas.altermundi.net < > dc3-bounces(a)listas.altermundi.net&gt; *On Behalf Of *sivasubramanian > muthusamy > *Sent:* Sunday, May 31, 2020 14:16 > *To:* Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity < > dc3(a)listas.altermundi.net> *Subject:* Re: [DC3] ITU Council seeking input on how Community Networks > increase Internet connectivity > Yes, Bob's point is valid as a general caution on the need to be careful > about the words we use, but "Network" is not really a word that we can > easily replace. If the danger lies in equating Networks with "Telecom > Networks" then, why not say "Community Internet Networks" instead? Or, > "Community Internet Infrastructure" ? > On Fri, May 29, 2020 at 8:53 PM Michael J. Oghia &lt;mike.oghia(a)gmail.com> wrote: > +1 Bob, well said > -Michael > On Fri, May 29, 2020 at 5:15 PM &lt;dc3(a)bob.ma&gt; wrote: > If we are move forward we need to be very careful about the words we use > and, in particular, avoid the word “network” because it has implicit > semantic loading that includes the business model of telecom. > Instead we must talk about “community owned facilities” since we do our > own networking using our own apps and devices. > Notice DC3 doesn’t use the word “networks” which is a setup in the right > direction. But maybe if we want further with “community owned facilities” > we could make it clear that we need enabling technology not just “provided” > services. > This more about economics than technology that is what is most worrisome > to the ITU. As long as we accept that connectivity is “provided” to > “subscribers” will be negotiating with the ITU rather empowering > communities. > Bob Frankston > https://Frankston.com > *From:* dc3-bounces(a)listas.altermundi.net < > dc3-bounces(a)listas.altermundi.net&gt; *On Behalf Of *sivasubramanian > muthusamy > *Sent:* Friday, May 29, 2020 05:43 > *To:* Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity < > dc3(a)listas.altermundi.net> *Subject:* Re: [DC3] ITU Council seeking input on how Community Networks > increase Internet connectivity > What we call Community Networks is not what Telecom companies would like > to see become successful. If the term "Community Networks" is hijacked, any > diluted definition + commercially beneficial architecture supercedes the > Community Network vision and a sub-telecom architecture might get > identified and promoted as a "Community Network.." > On Fri, May 29, 2020, 13:37 Carlos &lt;carlos(a)apc.org&gt; wrote: > Hi AmalI, > The G20 mentioned CNs indeed in its "COVID-19 Response Statement from the > G20 Virtual Ministerial Meeting" as one of the means to expand connectivity > “Furthermore, digital capacities should be expanded, in particular by > increasing broadband connectivity using fixed, mobile, and satellite > technologies and by exploring non-traditional means of connectivity, such > as community networks.” > https://g20.org/en/media/Documents/G20%20DETF%20COVID-19%20Ministerial%20St… > Policy makers are going sufficiently slow about CNs in most countries. If > at all, I see the interest of the ITU contributing to speed up things. It's > obviously voluntary for everyone to participate in this process, but the > process is taking place regardless, and either we contribute or the likes > of the GSMA, Viasat and Telefonica will contribute with their own > definitions of community networks which are very far from the ones that > have been considered here. In that case, is not only that the ITU may > influence policy makers, is that is will influence them with the wrong > evidence. > Here an example of the interpretation of what community involvement means > for GSMA and one of its members > https://www.gsma.com/mobilefordevelopment/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/GSMA-C… > https://techcentral.co.za/vodacom-to-pay-community-members-to-protect-its-b… > best, > carlos > On 28/5/20 21:07, Raoul Plommer wrote: > We need to work with ITU, if we want changes like free spectrum to break > through internationally. However, I totally agree that we need to be very > careful what power we give them in advising them. > -Raoul > On Thu, 28 May 2020 at 16:46, sivasubramanian muthusamy < > 6.internet(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: > It is good to keep the ITU informed, but this can't lead to a situation > where ITU gains total legitimacy over all policy related to community > networks, which might place the ITU in a position to influence all > decisions, some of which might cause the policy makers to go slow on > Community Networks... (Sorry, I find it difficult to trust the influences > weighing in on ITU) > On Thu, May 28, 2020, 19:10 gphlilanthi &lt;gphlilanthi(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: > I hear G20 are supporting CN. Does anyone know of any specifics regarding > this policy please? > Regards AmalI De Silva-Mitchell > Sent from my Galaxy Tab A (2016) > -------- Original message -------- > From: Carlos &lt;carlos(a)apc.org> Date: 27/05/2020 22:20 (GMT-08:00) > To: dc3 &lt;dc3(a)listas.altermundi.net> Subject: [DC3] ITU Council seeking input on how Community Networks > increase Internet connectivity > Hi everyone, > After all the noise some of us have made at national, regional and > international Internet Governance spaces, it looks like the ITU Council > wants to hear directly “How can small/community/non-profit operators > help in promoting the increase of Internet connectivity?” > This poses an unique opportunity to showcase directly to the ITU Council > all the amazing work that most of you are doing, specially at times > where CNs are gaining more and more visibility to curve the digital > divide and rural marginalization that is now more and more apparent due > to the pandemic. And I say directly because this request is made through > one of the very few consultations the ITU open to all stakeholders: the > Open Public Consultation of the Council Working Group on International > Internet-related Public Policy Issues (CWG-Internet). I provide a bit of > background about it below for those who are interested. > The consultation is structured as a set of questions, one of them the > one included above, available in the following link: > https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/consultation-sep2020.aspx > where you can also find important information and instructions on the > submission process. > I think it is strategically important that the ITU receives as many > contributions from each of us as possible highlighting the many > different ways community operators help in promoting the increase of > Internet connectivity. This will surely contribute in creating a more > policy and regulatory environment for community networks in each of your > countries. > I’ve copied some of the basic instructions to participate below. > Participating can be as easy as forwarding existing text you may have > written (the GISWatch country report for those of you who wrote it: > https://www.giswatch.org/community-networks) to the email address below. > Note that your online submission can be drafted in a UN language other > than English (these are Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish), > but you are encouraged (not obliged) to provide a translation in English > for the benefit of all readers. > At APC we are available to provide support to any of you wanting to make > a submission but struggling with the process. Please do not hesitate to > reach out to me directly. > Best, > carlos > == Basic instructions == > You can include your responses to the questions into the online form in > the following link : > https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/form-oct2019.aspx OR > send it to InternetPublicViews(a)itu.int including your Full Name, Title, > Country and Organization you are representing. > Your response will then be published on the ITU Website: > https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/consultation-sep2020.aspx > Please include each submission also includes a short summary/abstract > (1-3 paragraphs). This will form part of the final summary document to > be published after the end of the physical open consultation meeting. > == Background == > ITU Council Working Groups > There are different Working Groups set up to provide input to the ITU > Council in different matters. In the last last Council Group (February, > 2020) meeting four appeared to be active [1]: > - Council Working Group on International Internet-related Public Policy > Issues (CWG-Internet) > - Council working group on Child Online Protection (WG-CP) > - Council Working Group on WSIS (WG-WSIS) > - Council Working Group on Financial and Human Resources (CWG-FHR) > The participation in those working groups varies and some are for > Members States (MS) only, others allow for the participation of Sector > Members (too). > CWG-Internet is limited to Member States, but they hold an open > consultation to all stakeholders. This poses one of the few > opportunities for Civil Society Organizations that are not Sector > Members of the ITU to present their views to the ITU Council. In most > other ITU’s consultations, organizations such as the Association for > Progressive Communications and the Internet Society, both with Sector > Member status do their best to bring the voice of the Civil Society in > general, and of community networks in particular to these spaces. > In particular, CWG-Internet is tasked to identify, study and develop > matters related to international Internet-related public policy issues > and to disseminate its outputs throughout ITU's membership, as well as > to report annually to the Council on activities undertaken on these > subjects [2] [3]. > The 13th Session of the ITU Council Working Group on International > Internet-related Public Policy Issues (CWG-Internet) decided on 20 > September 2019 to hold an open consultation (online and physical) on > “International internet-related public policy issues on harnessing new > and emerging telecommunications/ICTs for sustainable development” where > some of our contributions provided already content in relation to > community connectivity [4]. > In the 13th Session it was also decided that the next round of Open > Consultations (February 2020 – August 2020), on the topic of “Expanding > Internet Connectivity” with the questions below: [5] > Expanding Internet Connectivity > - What are the challenges and opportunities for expanding Internet > connectivity, particularly to remote and under-served areas? What are > the roles of governments and non-government actors in overcoming these > challenges? > - Are there particular challenges facing land-locked countries in > securing affordable Internet access? What can be done to overcome these > challenges? > - How can small/community/non-profit operators help in promoting the > increase of Internet connectivity? > [1] https://www.itu.int/en/council/Pages/groups.aspx > [2] https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/default.aspx > [3] https://www.itu.int/md/S19-CL-C-0136/en > [4] > https://www.itu.int/en/council/cwg-internet/Pages/consultation-oct2019.aspx > [5] > https://www.itu.int/dms_pub/itu-s/md/19/rclintpol13/c/S19-RCLINTPOL13-C-001… > -- > Carlos Rey-Moreno, PhD > Local Access Policy and Regulation Coordinator > Association for Progressive Communications > https://www.apc.org/en/project/connecting-unconnected-supporting-community-… > Cel: +27 (0) 76 986 3633 > Skype: carlos.reymoreno Twitter: Creym > _______________________________________________ > DC3 mailing list > DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net > https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 > _______________________________________________ > DC3 mailing list > DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net > https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 > _______________________________________________ > DC3 mailing list > DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net > https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 > _______________________________________________ > DC3 mailing list > DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net > https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 > -- > Carlos Rey-Moreno, PhD > Local Access Policy and Regulation Coordinator > Association for Progressive Communications > https://www.apc.org/en/project/connecting-unconnected-supporting-community-… > Cel: +27 (0) 76 986 3633 > Skype: carlos.reymoreno Twitter: Creym > _______________________________________________ > DC3 mailing list > DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net > https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 > _______________________________________________ > DC3 mailing list > DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net > https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 > _______________________________________________ > DC3 mailing list > DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net > https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 > _______________________________________________ > DC3 mailing list > DC3(a)listas.altermundi.net > https://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3