New subject: RES: Suggestions for the Alliance for Affordable Internet

7 Apr 2016

Dear all,

I have been invited to participate to the meeting of the Alliance for Affordable Internet
(A4AI) that will take place next week in Washington, DC. The A4AI aims at fostering
affordable internet access but, over the past weeks, has been criticised for being
excessively business-oriented.
I believe that those who have worked within the A4AI, so far, have missed the importance
of concrete alternatives to "traditional" approaches, such as community networks
that DC3 advocates for.  My understanding is that A4AI is open to consider alternatives
and I will participate to the A4AI meeting with the goal of stressing the importance of
promoting a variety of different approaches rather than focusing only on the strategies
that have been analysed/encouraged so far.
I am open to any suggestions from list-members with regard to relevant points to stress
during the A4AI meeting.

There are already a number of examples of successful CN experiences (e.g. DEF India,
guifi.net, Altermundi, etc.) showing that it is possible to empower individuals allowing
them to make connectivity more ubiquitous and sustainable, rather than merely trying to
make it more affordable via "conventional" strategies. And many other
possibilities are available, including exploiting untapped resources such as abandoned
copper infrastructure or unexploited spectrum, as stressed by Bob.

I would be more than happy to convey any other example, opinion or suggestion you have as
regards alternative approaches that should be considered to foster connectivity.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and comments.
Best
Luca

[FGV Direito Rio]

Luca Belli, PhD
Pesquisador | Researcher
Lead of Internet Governance @ FGV<http://internet-governance.fgv.br/>
luca.belli(a)fgv.br
+55 21 3799 5763

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