InternetSociety©1992–2018

Empoweringruralareasthroughcommunity-basedaccessDigitalOpportunitiesattheLastMile

RajneshSINGHRegionalDirector,Asia-Pacificsingh@isoc.org

Presentationtitle– Clientname1

49%oftheworldisstillnotconnected

ThelackofaffordableaccesstotheInternetandthedisparityinlevelsofaccessacrosstheworldremainsakeychallenge.

AvehiclecrossingthelandscapenearKoklata inTusheti,abeautifulbutveryremoteregionoftheGreaterCaucasusMountainsintheRepublicofGeorgia.©Nyani Quarmyne 2

Consequencesofbeingunconnected

• Competitiveandeconomicdisadvantage

• Lackofsocio-economicdevelopment

• NotreapingthefullbenefitsoftheInternet-- exchangeofinformation,shareofculture,etc.

Tothisend,thereisasenseofurgency:astheconsequencesofbeingunconnectedincreaseovertime,issueslikecostandthedigitaldivideareincreasingaswell!

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Connecting the World is perhaps the greatest challenge !

Ruralareasfacea‘doubledigitaldivide’

Demandside

Lackofbasicskillsandknowledgetoexploitconnectivityanddigitaltechnology,leadingto‘digitalhighways’beingunder-utilised

Supplyside

Insufficientinvestmentinnextgenerationaccessinfrastructure

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Connectingcommunities

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Onesolutionforconnectingrural,remote,andunder-servedcommunitiesiscommunitynetworks.

Small,do-it-yourselfnetworksarealreadyconnectingpeopleinremotepartsofmorethan43countries, fromtheAmazonRainforesttotheHimalayas,tothefly-incommunitiesofCanada’snorth.

Communitynetworksaremakingconnectivityaffordabletomoreandmorepeoplearoundtheworld.

Moses"Chiif Kadiff"Otieno (right)hangingoutinKibera,asluminNairobi,KenyawhichisreputedtobethelargestinAfrica.

Otieno hopestobenefitfromacommunitywifi networkbeingestablishedbytheTunapanda Institute,whichaimstoprovideaccesstoarangeofeducationalcontent,pairedwithIToutreachtraining.©Nyani Quarmyne

Theapproach

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• Communitynetworksareaviablealternativetoconnectremoteandruralareas

• Theyprovideaccessforcommunitiesthatarenotreachedorservedbytraditionalorcommercialoperators

• TheyallowcommunitiestoactivelyconnectthemselvestotheInternet

Theinfrastructure

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• Communitynetworksareoftensmall,usuallyservingunder3,000people

• Somerelyonwirelessandopticalfibretechnologies

• Manyhaveadistributedarchitecture

NetworkdiagramoftheWirelessforCommunitiesprojectinNepal

Connectivitycanhappenfromthe“village”or“community”out– wherethelastmileisessentiallya“first-mile,”wherecitizensbuildtheirownnetworks

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WirelessforCommunities

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India

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2010-2019[InpartnershipwithDigitalEmpowermentFoundation(DEF)]

– 100,000+peoplereachedinunserved+underservedareas

– 200+accesspointsdeployed– 38districtscovered– 22statesimpacted– Focusonenablingdigitalservicesforthoseatthebottom-of-the-pyramid

NepalandPakistan

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Nepal[InpartnershipwithNepalWirelessProject(NWP)]

– 12schools,2healthcentresandcommunityhospitalconnected– 3ruralinnovationlabsset-up– 7villagescoveredinearthquake-affectedareas– Local‘trading’sites[e-bulletinswherevillagerscanadvertise

theirproducts]

Pakistan[InpartnershipwithCOMSATSInternetServices]

– 2villagesconnectednearMultan– 2schoolsprovidedwithconnectivityanddigitalliteracy

training;girlsschoolprovidedwithsupplementaryeducationinmathsandscienceviaremoteteachingfromIslamabad

Challenges

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Communitynetworksrelyontheavailabilityofspectrum

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SpectrumisviewedasscarceRatherthanfocusingonscarcity,weshouldconsiderspectrumasacommonresourcetobemanagedefficientlyandeffectively

TraditionalregulationshaveledtoinefficientuseofspectrumExclusiveLicenses: Incontrasttoshareduse,exclusiveuselicensesprovideonelicenseeunfettereduseofaparticularswathofspectrum.Thiscanresultinlargeportionsofspectrumbeingunusedorunderutilized.

BroadLicenses: Manylicensescoverlargegeographicareas;however,theincumbentserviceprovidersthathavetherightstothesebroadlicensesmaynothavetheeconomicincentivestobuildouttheirnetworkstoutilizefullyallofthespectrumlicensedtothem.

AccesstospectrumisexpensiveSpectrumrightscomeathighcosts,andareoftenauctionedofftothehighestbidder.Often,communitynetworksdonothavethefundingorfinancialabilitytopayforspectrumrights.

Unlicensedspectrum

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Since2017,ColombiahasallowedTVWSinthe470MHzto698MHzfrequencybandtobeusedfreelythroughdynamicaccesstopromoteaffordablebroadbandinruralareas

TheEuropeanCommissionhasproposedthatitsmemberstatesidentifyspectruminthe2.4GHzand5GHzbandsforunlicenseduse

Australia,Malaysia,NewZealand,SingaporeandtheEuropeanCommissionhaverecommendedthe433-434MHzbandforunlicenseduse

Chinahasexpandedunlicensedusetoincludethe5150-5250GHzand5250-5350GHzbands.

Countriesthatusethe900MHzbandforunlicenseduseincludesArgentina,Brazil,Canada,Chile,Mexico,andtheUnitedStates

In2013,theNetherlandsallocated5megahertzofspectruminthe1800MHzbandforunlicensedGSMoperationsusinglow-power,femtocellbasestations.,ithassincefreedupadditionalspectrumforsuchuse.

Asitisnottiedtoalicense,usersmayusethisspectrumwithminimalregulatoryrequirements,andwithouttheneedtopaythehighcostsofobtainingaspectrumlicense.

Unlicensedusersgenerallylackexclusiveuseofthespectrumandmaybesubjecttointerferencefromotherusersofthespectrum.

Secondaryuse

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Advancementsinspectrumsharingallowformoreefficientuseofspectrumandcreateopportunitiesforcommunityaccessnetworks,whichcouldoperateonasecondarybasisinalready-licensedspectrumtoconnectunservedorunderservedareas.ThisincludestheunusedspectrumbetweenTVchannels

CitizenConnect,Namibia-- MicrosofthasbackednumerousTVWSinitiatives,includingCitizenConnect,andProjectKgolagano inBotswanawhichhavesuccessfullyconnectedsignificantportionsofbothcountries

CapeTownTVWSTrial,SouthAfrica--ThisGoogle-backedprojectutilizedadatabasethatcalculatedchannelavailabilitysoastoavoidharmfulinterference;therewasnomeasurableinterferenceduringthetrial

ConnectedFarms,Colombia--InMesetas.Colombia,TVWStechnologyhashelpedtoconnectfarmsandeducationalinstitutions

TVWSPilotNetwork,Malawi--theregulatorpartneredwithauniversitytoconnectruralhospitalsandschoolsunservedorunderservedbycommercialISPs.TheresultsshowedthatTVWSintheUHFbanddemonstrated2.6timesbetterdataratesthanotherfixedbroadbandservices.

Guidingprinciples

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Socialpurposelicensing

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With“socialpurpose”licenses,regulatorssetasidespecificlicensesfornon-traditionaloperators,likecommunitynetworks.whichremovesthecompetitivenatureoflicensing,andprioritisesspectrumusefornon-commercialpurpose

Mexico’s regulator has set aside 2x5 MHz of paired FDDuplink and downlink spectrum (824-849 and 869-894 MHz)specifically for social purpose use. To use these bands, thecommunity served must be less than 2,500 people, or bean indigenous region or otherwise designated for such use.

Mexico

Experimentallicensing

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Licenseesareauthorisedtotestanddevelopnewtechnologiesandservices,whileprotectingincumbentservicesagainstharmfulinterference

In2016,theIndiangovernmentissued8experimentallicensesinthe470-582MHzbandtocarryoutexperimentsofTelevisionWhiteSpace-typerulesandregulations.

TheselicensesallowedtheDynamicSpectrumAlliance(DSA)tostudywhetherspectrumbelow1GHzcouldbeauthorizedonanunlicensedorlightly-licensedframeworkinIndia,asitisinMalawi,Ghana,Singapore,thePhilippines,andtheUnitedKingdom

India

SpectrumAuctionCredits

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Forcountriesthatlicensespectrumviaauction,policymakersshouldconsiderprovidingauctionbiddingcreditsforcommunitynetworkswithadequatesafeguardstopreventabuse.

To encourage marketplace competition, the US routinelyawards bidding credits rural operators, and businesses ownedby minority groups and women to participate in spectrumauctions.

In the 2017 600 MHz Broadcast Incentive Auction, the U.S.Federal Communications Commission provided a 15% biddingcredit to rural service providers. Over 50 rural carriersparticipated in the auction and, saving nearly $18 million incredits, secured low-band spectrum for rural networks.

UnitedStates

Licenseexemptions

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Regulatorscanalsoexemptsocialpurposeusersfromlicensingrequirementsorpermitsocialpurposeservicesindesignatedunlicensedspectrum.

Brazil

Eligible“PrivateLimitedService”providers—thosewithfewerthan5,000users-- mustnotifythegovernmentoftheirintenttoprovideserviceandcomplywithcertainequipmentauthorizationrules,buttheyarenotrequiredtoobtainaservicelicense.Thisfreessmallcommunitynetworkstooperateonalargelyunrestrictedbasissubjecttoreasonableprotectionsforincumbentoperators.

PolicymakersandRegulators

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Somerecommendations

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Includecommunity networkexpertsinregulatoryproceedings .Includingtheperspectiveofcommunitynetworkexpertswillbalanceoutaccessdiscussions,providenewperspectivesonnetworkdevelopment,andavoidexclusionofanimportantcommunityofexpertiseandpractice.

Increaseregulatorytransparency .Rulesthatarepubliclyavailableandeasytoaccessandunderstandwillprovideorganisationsthecertaintytheyneedtomakeinvestmentsincommunitynetworks.Regulatorsmaydothisbyholdingpublicmeetingsandpublishingtheirrulesandregulationsonline.

Ensureregulatoryfairness.Regulatorsshouldabidebyregulatory“bestpractices”andcommittorulesthatareclearlyestablishedandfollowed.Avoidingarbitraryorcapriciousdecisionswillincreaseinvestments,frombothtraditionalnetworksandalternativenetworks.Itwillalsohelptoreducetraditionaloperators’reservationsregardingnewandinnovativespectrummanagementtools,andhelptoensurethatcooperativecitizeninitiativesarenotdiscriminatedagainst.

Somerecommendations

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Lowercostsofspectrumbasedonspecialcircumstances.Highspectrumfeesandauctionspresentchallengesfornon-traditionaloperatorswhobringsocialimpact(inclusion)andexpandsocio-economicbenefits.Regulatorsshouldconsiderreducingthesecostsforoperatorslikecommunitynetworkoperators,eitherthroughbiddingcreditswherespectrumrightsareauctioned,orreducedspectrumfees.

Increasespectrumallocationtransparencyandavailability.Makeinformationreadilyavailableandprovidetransparencywithrespecttolicensedspectrum,assignmentsandallocations,andwherespectrumisavailable.Asmanyoperatorsarenotusingspectrumacrosstheirlicensedgeographicallotments,identifyingwherecommunitynetworkscoulduse,lease,orotherwisesharethatspectrumiscritical.

Publicfundingforcommunitynetworks.Considerrevisinguniversalservicefundstoincludecommunitynetworksand/orcreatenewpublic-private-partnershipfundingmechanismsthatprioritizecommunitynetworksandothersmall- andmedium-sizedenterprisesprovidinglocalaccesstocreateamorelevel-playingfield

JOINUSONTHURSDAY!

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Asia-PacificRegionalCommunityNetworksSummit

UNCCConferenceRoom3

29th August2019

https://www.unescap.org/events/third-session-asia-pacific-information-superhighway-ap-steering-committee-and-wsis-regional

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