Re: [DC3] Community networks indroduction video project

Hi, This is Sarbani from Gram Marg Rural Broadband project at IIT Bombay, India. I am the Senior Project Research Scientist and Program Manager of the Gram Marg Rural Broadband project. Gram Marg too is involved in similar community network connectivity project at remote, rural villages in India. Gram Marg Rural Broadband project focuses on two things: cost-effective technology solution using the TV White Spaces and building a sustainable economic model based on community owned networks at the village level. The need for community owned networks has come about from the impact assessment studies which we have conducted in the villages where we have provided Internet connectivity. Public and private partnership models have not worked and the need for setting up community owned networks has been voiced by the villagers. We have developed a 4P model which is a partnership model between the public, private and panchayat for owning and running the network at the village level. Panchayat is the local self government at the village level nominated by the State head. For more details about our project, please visit our website www.grammarg.in The website also has a link to the video about our current work. Gram Marg solution for rural broadband has also been the winner of 2017, Mozilla Equal Rating Innovation Challenge. I would like to share more about the 4P model which we have developed and is currently in the process of validation on field. Thanks With regards, Sarbani