Re: [gaia] Difference between FON and a "manyfolks Community Network"

["Trossen, Dirk" <[e-mail]>]

Rohan, all,

 

I cannot help but notice that the discussion on definitions already
reveals core principles that this community sees at the heart of their
work - so good to see this discussion but necessary to capture these
various viewpoints more distinctively as 'principles'.

 

As for your definition, Rohan:

User-extensible network: A network in which any participant in the
system may add link segments to the network in such a way that the new
network segments can support multiple nodes and adopt the same overall
characteristics as those of the joined network, including the capacity
to further extend the network. Once these link segments are joined to
the network, there is no longer a meaningful distinction between the
previous extent of the network and the new extent of the network. 

 

I wonder how my 'passive infrastructure' based DSL or cable network fits
in here. Let's start from scratch: a housing community (e.g., in the
middle of London) will add link segments to the network, often through a
commercial offering. If it is a new development, cables need to be
pulled and laid in the new development, again often through an (open?)
access provider. If it is an existing development, the existing cable
infrastructure is likely re-used, although at the network level you are
repeating the process of 'add link segments' by re-activating, e.g., the
DSL line to the apartment(s). So a standard BT OpenReach+Retail ISP way
of doing things seem to be fitting under that definition, doesn't it? 

 

Nevertheless, as pointed out in the beginning, your very definition
entails a set of principles for 'building networks' that is worthwhile
capturing as such.

 

Best,

 

Dirk

 

From: gaia [mailto:[e-mail]] On Behalf Of Rohan Mahy
Sent: 19 June 2014 07:15
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [gaia] Difference between FON and a "manyfolks Community
Network"

 

Hi Everyone,


Just to briefly introduce myself, my most relevant experience to this
group is that I helped build a large portion of a long-range 5Ghz WiFi
backbone in Haiti with Inveneo; before that I was an active participant
in the IETF in the RAI space for many years; currently I work as a field
logistician for an international non-profit in South Kivu, Democratic
Republic of Congo.

 

To me the key difference between FON and what the authors call a
community network is the ability to actively enlarge the network. FON
capitalizes on an existing network. It does not extend that network, it
merely allows reciprocal access to that network by individual nodes.
While this is already a good and useful thing, I think what many of the
authors of the draft want to define is a user-extensible network. Below
is my strawman definition.

 

User-extensible network: A network in which any participant in the
system may add link segments to the network in such a way that the new
network segments can support multiple nodes and adopt the same overall
characteristics as those of the joined network, including the capacity
to further extend the network. Once these link segments are joined to
the network, there is no longer a meaningful distinction between the
previous extent of the network and the new extent of the network. 

 

Note that this covers a large part of the Free Network Foundation's
Freedom 1 as posted by Roger, but not all of it.

 

Practically I think this means that new segments of a user-extensible
network do not involve IP address translation at the boundary of the
network. This is important architecturally, so if someone has a good
counter-example, please respond.

 

For me it does not matter if the network is wired or wireless, licensed
or unlicensed spectrum, or what technologies are used. It does not
matter if the network has a fee structure or who administers the
network. I agree with Steve that commercial extensible networks should
be included. In Haiti and the parts of sub-Saharan Africa where I have
lived (Benin, South Sudan, DRC) a commercial entity has a better chance
of getting off the ground. 

 

Thanks,

-rohan



 
 
 
Dirk Trossen 
Principal Engineer
InterDigital UK, Inc.
Shoreditch Business Center
64 Great Eastern Street
London, EC2A 3QR
T: [phone]
[e-mail]
www.InterDigital.com
 

 


This e-mail is intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it is addressed, and may contain information that is privileged, confidential and/or otherwise protected from disclosure to anyone other than its intended recipient. Unintended transmission shall not constitute waiver of any privilege or confidentiality obligation. If you received this communication in error, please do not review, copy or distribute it, notify me immediately by email, and delete the original message and any attachments. Unless expressly stated in this e-mail, nothing in this message or any attachment should be construed as a digital or electronic signature.