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

Dear Group For a joint group submission here are my points that are noted here, independent to my own submission to ITU. CN supports eGovernment hencephalitis in the interest of governments to support it at low cost. The Canadian Government donated 5 million dollars to my organization while I was President of VCN to support the non profits for Vancouver websites, train elderly, teach unemployed youth IT skills and provide internet access to low income families with our partnership with the public library. It was and continues to be successful. Information and content dissemination are also important for government. Using a LAN the data could be even mailed back and forth and then uploaded / hosted on the LAN. This could be via a weekly update for instance. This follows to my point noted to ITU to use LANs..as a first step. The GUI...must be simple to support old or cheaper technology. Good Human Computer interface is key. Using hand me down hardware is cost effective and nonprofits can easily put together programs to deal with this. As more and more service are electronic it is imporant id's don't loose out on technology skills growing up and havery the great access to online edu cation all tools. Finding funding to get these smaller areas set up can be faster and an interim step while waiting for broadband to manifest. This is for area without wireless. I have hears of mobile wireless stations even on boats and these should be made use off as well as the new balloon wireless stations that work well under cloud cover. There is also the technology from Uni of Edinburgh that uses light less wireless cable ..i.e through air 😊 transmission etc... ITU should challenge new CN technology development through the UN AI for Good Conference. Alook have Web portal with lots of examples of CN to advocate the good works done. All SDG s should be covered through CNs. CN is for everybody ...even a business group is a CN ... and perhaps encourage businesses within remote areas to host some users for a fee through the municipality. .. Land locked countries can do well with mobile transmission towers as will small island nations. These are a few points as CN practitioner of several years. ... Universal Access ! Regards Amali De Silva-Mitchell On Sun, 31 May 2020 10:45 Amali De Silva - Mitchell, < gphlilanthi(a)gmail.com&gt; wrote: > Thank you for your response ... > > A question please, my involvement with CN has been from an economic > perspective..and not technical... > > Could LANs.. be established in rural areas first and then when funding > available connect to the major networks ? This is what I suggested in my > submission. ..if this is possible then perhaps older hardware can be > handed down too through NGOs...I also think that eGovt services should be > provided so that access by a dial up user can be effective. ..old phone > lines still exist ... > > Regards > Amali De Silva-Mitchell > Former CS WSIS, former President Vancouver Community Network a non profit > ISP. .. > > > > On Fri, 29 May 2020 01:07 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&gt; >>>> Date: 27/05/2020 22:20 (GMT-08:00) >>>> To: dc3 &lt;dc3(a)listas.altermundi.net&gt; >>>> 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 listDC3@listas.altermundi.nethttps://listas.altermundi.net/mailman/listinfo/dc3 >> >> -- >> Carlos Rey-Moreno, PhD >> Local Access Policy and Regulation Coordinator >> Association for Progressive Communicationshttps://www.apc.org/en/project/connecting-unconnected-support… >> 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 >> >