[Advisors] Re: [CommunityInformaticsCanada] FW: [governance] US: FCC proposes large public WiFi networks; tech, telecom giants take sides

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 19:16:52 +0000

Hi everyone, and thanks to Michael for including me in the conversation.

My PhD thesis spawned a few journal articles, which are collected here.
The one published in the Canadian Journal of Communication specifically 
looks at the Fred-eZone and the discourse of 'smart' cities.
http://www.alisonpowell.ca/?page_id=72

The thesis chapters themselves are here (although I happen to think the 
published articles are better :-)) http://www.alisonpowell.ca/?page_id=71

Finally, here's my official bio page with even more articles listed:
http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/WhosWho/AcademicStaff/AlisonPowell.aspx

Interestingly I have just proposed a paper that would take me back into 
the community WiFi world, looking at  lessons learned from past failed 
projects and the way these have been built into sustained projects (and 
inspired new ones). I'd be happy to chat with anyone working in this area.

All the best,

Alison.

On 06/02/2013 17:19, michael gurstein wrote:
> I'll copy this to Alison whose interests have shifted somewhat but
> she'll know if/where her thesis materials might be available online…
>
> M
>
> *From:*advisors-admin@tc.ca [mailto:advisors-admin@tc.ca] *On Behalf Of
> *James Van Leeuwen
> *Sent:* Wednesday, February 06, 2013 7:20 AM
> *To:* Susan O'Donnell
> *Cc:* Gary W Kenward; michael gurstein; civicaccess discuss;
> cracin-canada@vancouvercommunity.net; advisors@tc.ca
> *Subject:* Re: [Advisors] Re: [CommunityInformaticsCanada] FW:
> [governance] US: FCC proposes large public WiFi networks; tech, telecom
> giants take sides
>
> Helpful and timely insights Susan, thank you.
>
> WiFi is our strongest leverage, given the number of devices on the
> market today that are WiFi-enabled.
>
> I look forward to reading Alison Powell's thesis, as I expect it will
> add value to the initiative I mentioned to build the argument for the
> public common good.
>
> Do you at least know the thesis title?
>
> Also, if anyone else knows of materials that would assist in the effort,
> I would appreciate knowing about them.
>
> James
>
> On 2013-02-06, at 7:48 AM, "Susan O'Donnell" <susanodo@unb.ca
> <mailto:susanodo@unb.ca>> wrote:
>
>
>
> Hi all,
>
> James I've been enjoying your last few posts, thank you.
>
> I wanted to add some info to the situation in Fredericton, since the
> quote from our mayor Brad Woodside:
>
>
> */"We don't charge you to walk on our sidewalks. Why would we charge you
> for broadband?/*
>
>
> ... generated some discussion around free public access to wifi. The
> City of Fredericton launched the first municipally-run free-to-users
> public wifi network in Canada (as far as I understand). It WAS developed
> by municipal tax dollars (ie property tax) and became known as the Fred
> eZone. However the city is very business-oriented and the municipal
> fibre network that supports the Fred eZone and many other applications
> was developed primarily to attract and support business development in
> the downtown core (Fred eZone is also available on the university campus
> and the airport). Many other applications on the network are purely
> business-oriented. The fact that the free wifi can be accessed downtown
> by anyone is from the city's perspective a nice bonus to the core
> business. So it is a business and run as a business. I think it is a
> great model that can be replicated elsewhere.
>
> BTW, a case study of the Fred e-zone and the municipally-owned wireless
> network will be included in a Journal of Community Informatics issue
> available later this year, special issue on the "First Mile" of
> broadband infrastructure. The Fred e-Zone has also been the subject of
> at least one PhD dissertation by Alison Powell when she was with the
> CRACIN project. I just googled that and found only a few dead links -
> maybe someone else can circulate the publication.
>
> Thanks and regards,
> Susan
>
> Dr. Susan O'Donnell, Researcher and Adjunct Professor
> Department of Sociology, University of New Brunswick
> PO Box 1122, Fredericton, NB, Canada E3B 5C2
> susanodo@unb.ca <mailto:susanodo@unb.ca>
> Office: 506-444-0374
> Cell: 506-238-7572
> http://videocom.firstnation.ca
> http://firstmile.ca
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> *From:*cracin-canada-owner@vancouvercommunity.net
> <mailto:cracin-canada-owner@vancouvercommunity.net>[cracin-canada-owner@vancouvercommunity.net
> <mailto:cracin-canada-owner@vancouvercommunity.net>] on behalf of James
> Van Leeuwen [jvl@ventus.ca <mailto:jvl@ventus.ca>]
> *Sent:*Wednesday, February 06, 2013 4:26 AM
> *To:*Gary W Kenward
> *Cc:*michael gurstein; civicaccess
> discuss;cracin-canada@vancouvercommunity.net
> <mailto:cracin-canada@vancouvercommunity.net>;advisors@tc.ca
> <mailto:advisors@tc.ca>
> *Subject:*Re: [Advisors] Re: [CommunityInformaticsCanada] FW:
> [governance] US: FCC proposes large public WiFi networks; tech, telecom
> giants take sides
>
> Gary,
>
> we are going to be raising taxes here in Alberta, because the dummies
> who run this place (voters) are finally realizing they can't have their
> cake and eat it too.
>
> And if anyone mentioned the notion of making universal access a right,
> it wasn't me.
>
> It's a notion fraught with numerous and intractable legal perils, and we
> literally can't afford to go there.
>
> So, good thing it's irrelevant.
>
> We are dealing here with a rather simple matter of collective
> self-interest, or at least,/enlightened/self-interest.
>
> Which gets to the very heart of the issue:
>
> Lack of enlightened self-interest on the part of far too many Canadians.
>
> The essential value of our public infrastructure is its utility in
> meeting our collective economic and social needs and interests more
> efficiently and effectively, including all of the needs and interests
> you rattled off in your reply.
>
> It has enabled us to achieve far greater security and prosperity than we
> could have otherwise, to the benefit of the great majority of Canadians
> past and present (but not all, and more importantly, what we have is not
> sustainable).
>
> This foundational economic knowledge seems desperately lacking in Canada
> today, to our growing detriment.
>
> What do our youth consciously understand of the costs and benefits of
> the roads and sidewalks they use?
>
> What do their parents and grandparents understand?
>
> What do they understand of social responsibility?
>
> The impact of broadband on the efficiency and effectiveness of our
> economy will not be incremental.
>
> It will be transformative, and it won't take legislation to affect the
> transformation.
>
> It will take learning and leadership.
>
> There is an initiative underway to provide what you've identified as the
> missing piece of the equation for 'universal' free access, namely,
> a compelling "argument for the greater common good".
>
> Even with this in hand, it will indeed be challenging to convince many
> Canadians that public interests will do a better job than private
> interests.
>
> Thankfully, industry makes it easier for us by the day:
>
> wordsbynowak.com/2013/02/06/shaw-rogers/
> <http://wordsbynowak.com/2013/02/06/shaw-rogers/>
>
> I really wish we didn't need any more convincing than this, but
> apparently, a lot of us do.
>
> We are no longer the nation that built this amazing legacy of public
> infrastructure that has brought Canada its unprecedented prosperity.
>
> Frankly, I don't know what nation we are today.
>
> I'd just like us to be working on becoming the nation we want to be.
>
> JvL
>
> On 2013-02-05, at 11:09 PM, Gary W Kenward <garykenward@eastlink.ca
> <mailto:garykenward@eastlink.ca>> wrote:
>
>
>
>
> */"We don't charge you to walk on our sidewalks. Why would we charge you
> for broadband?/*
>
> Sidewalks are paid for by taxes. So people are charged, whether the want
> sidewalks or not. Sidewalks are, like all things in life, not free.
>
> Given current spending cutbacks, which government services would you
> suggest people are willing to give up in order to provide universal free
> access to broadband? Which issue do you feel "boomers and seniors" care
> more about? Health care, unemployment, pensions, public safety, defence,
> the environment, education, or free access to the Internet? Food,
> shelter and safety will always take precedence. Even with younger
> generations.
>
> Free communications via mail, telephony, radio, television and carrier
> pigeon has never been considered a universal right. So there is a
> remarkable precedent to be set.
>
> What's missing in much of the current dialogue around universal free
> access is an argument for the greater common good that convinces the
> majority that its worth government intervention - and spending. That
> truly convinces the majority that governments can do a better job then
> the private sector. Given recent trends to privatize - with voter
> support - this will be difficult.
>
> Gary
>
> */
> /*Plus ca change, plus c'est le meme chose
>
>
> On 2013-02-05, at 5:16, James Van Leeuwen <jvl@ventus.ca
> <mailto:jvl@ventus.ca>> wrote:
>
>     "We don't charge you to walk on our sidewalks. Why would we charge
>     you for broadband?
>

-- 
Dr Alison Powell
Department of Media and Communication
London School of Economics
Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE
a.powell@lse.ac.uk
Twitter: @a_b_powell