[wordup] Community Wireless Networks

[Adam Shand]

It's almost a caricature and there's some minor technical glitches, but
over all this is the best article on what community networks are all
about. They left the picture out of the online version though so you
loose that and the "A helping Shand" quote.

Oh, and we have 26 nodes now and 417 people on the mailing list, not bad
for 6 weeks since the interview.

In case you can't tell I'm a little pleased with myself right now. :)

Via: Personal Telco List <ptp at lists.spack.org>
From: http://www.redherring.com/insider/2002/0307/2145.html
More: http://www.personaltelco.net/ http://maps.personaltelco.net/

Broadbanding together
Community-based wireless services are growing.
By Christopher Locke
March 7, 2002

A year ago, Adam Shand's idealism was shaken. Like almost everyone else,
he found himself dependent on local ISPs and regional bell operating
companies for his high-speed Internet service. And forking over
expensive monthly fees for the service not only hurt his pocketbook, but
also contributed to his disdain of the crass commercialization of the
Internet--he was merely an Internet consumer. Mr. Shand wondered where
the early pioneering spirit of the Internet had gone, in which
innovation was key and almost everyone shared the vision of cheap,
ubiquitous, and collaborative interaction as an attainable utopia.

Then he heard of a London-based volunteer organization called Consume.
Formed in 2000, the group offers wireless local area networking
technology to anyone who wants free and open access to the Internet. By
constructing inexpensive antennae, or nodes, that cost anywhere from $50
to $200 to build, and placing them atop buildings and other areas with
clear lines of sight, its volunteers created a network that circumvented
the traditional ISPs. The network uses the 802.11b protocol, or wi-fi,
an unregulated radio frequency normally used to carry baby-monitor
transmissions and the chatter of cordless phones. Volunteers donate to
the network the high-speed bandwidth connections they already have and
pay for, and anyone with a laptop and PC wireless card within reach of
one of the nodes (usually within a couple of blocks) can hop on the
network and surf for free. And since the network is open to all, no
password or user name is needed to access it.

Mr. Shand, who lives in Portland, Oregon, was so impressed by Consume
that he sent an email to a Linux working group to see if anybody in the
Portland area was interested in doing something similar. Three days
later, he had received more than 70 replies supporting the idea. It
marked the beginning of Mr. Shand's group, which came to be known as the
Personal Telco Project, or PersonalTelco. Today, PersonalTelco has 16
working nodes throughout Portland, and its mailing list has swelled to
more than 350 members. Dozens of other groups have sprung up in cities
across the United States, from NYCwireless to Seattle Wireless.
Worldwide, there are more than 80 grassroots organizations like
PersonalTelco that are committed to creating community-based wireless
services free of charge.

The nodes come in various shapes and sizes, from professional-looking
antennae to do-it-yourself contraptions made of Pringles cans and lug
nuts. Many systems are rather clunky and unsophisticated, but with
speeds of up to 11 Mbps, they get the job done. If you've been itching
for a new hobby, think of what you can now do with all those recyclables
piling up in your hallway. PersonalTelco has even been lucky enough to
get the corporate world involved in constructing nodes: Musenki, a
wireless company still in stealth mode, has agreed to build open-source
nodes and offer them for less than $200 apiece.

This isn't to say the system is without flaws. Wireless signal
interference from other devices can easily degrade a network connection.
If a neighbor chooses to microwave a bag of popcorn, for example, users
could lose a connection. And like other wireless signals, 802.11b can't
travel through concrete, is unsecured, and uptime is based upon the
expertise and friendliness of one's neighbor. In other words, there are
no contracts.

The good news is that this public sharing of bandwidth is absolutely
legal. According to a spokesperson at the Federal Communications
Commission, no ISP has approached the FCC about making 802.11b a
regulated band, which might give an ISP the upper hand if it decided to
squelch the movement. This inaction is somewhat surprising, considering
that AT&T has gone on record as saying people who give away their unused
bandwidth for free are performing something akin to cable theft. "A
reporter called me a Communist," says a slightly perturbed Mr. Shand,
speaking to Red Herring on his way to a wireless summit in Seattle.

And for network users, the service truly is free. They don't pay monthly
dues or membership fees to join. Neither Mr. Shand nor his group's
volunteers receive a salary. All that is asked is that members donate
the money and time to supply the nodes themselves, thereby creating the
links to the network. Directions for constructing nodes can be found on
many of these groups' Web sites. If you'd rather use an existing node in
one of the 35 U.S. metropolitan areas that support free wireless access,
simply log on--no strings attached. That's perfectly acceptable. "We
just ask people to agree to some terms and conditions [for example, not
reselling the bandwidth or engaging in any illegal activity], and then
you're on your way," Mr. Shand says.

Abuse of the community network--for example, someone using it to
download child pornography--hasn't been an issue. People using the
network follow established guidelines that restrict them from activities
that could lead to legal troubles for members. Mr. Shand says that even
though PersonalTelco hasn't had to deal with these types of issues yet,
it is currently writing software to authenticate and restrict access,
anticipating such activity. Terry Schmidt, cofounder of NYCwireless,
says that at a recent summit, not one group mentioned any issues of
abuse or other devious activities.

These communal wireless nets also helped people and businesses
immediately following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Many who
couldn't afford or find high-speed Internet connections used these
community-based networks after the attacks disrupted some of New York
City's telecommunications systems. Is plentiful, free, fast Internet
access attainable after all?

Maybe, but not all ISPs are pleased with what some call Robin Hood-style
networks. Although many of the more than 5,000 ISPs in the United States
support these networks, a few have taken offense. According to Mr.
Shand, Qwest Communications and Excite at Home have stipulated in contracts
that it is forbidden to share any noncommercial use of bandwidth with
anyone. Neither company commented on this allegation. David Simpson,
lawyer and cofounder of the California Internet Service Providers'
Association, says it's ludicrous for either Qwest or Excite to stipulate
what can or cannot be broadcast over 802.11b. "The spectrum doesn't
belong to Qwest or anyone else," says Mr. Simpson. "They have absolutely
no say in this matter." Mr. Shand's response is a bit more pithy: "This
is such a bullshit issue." Mr. Shand acknowledges that for now, these
types of free networks aren't the complete answer to ISPs, but only
augment them.

David Cooperstein, research director at Forrester Research, agrees. The
traditional ISPs offer 99.5 percent uptime, dependable security (which
is still a huge sticking point for free wireless communities), and
interference-free access. If you live in an area that has a network,
that's great. But what happens if you travel to the hinterlands of, say,
North Dakota and want to log on? You need backup. "When it's free," Mr.
Cooperstein says, "You get what you pay for." Also, he says this
movement might be popular only until 2004 or 2005; by then, carriers are
expected to roll out third-generation wireless, or 3G, services,
connecting cell phones, PCs, and laptops in a much more substantial and
hassle-free way than today.

But Mr. Shand says these communities will continue to grow. He bases
this assessment on his belief that citizens crave, but no longer have, a
common or public place to meet, innovate, and discuss. He sees these
networks as a fulfillment of the utopian dream for which he longs. "The
end-to-end paradigm of the Internet is broken," Mr. Shand says. "I want
a free, wireless cloud sitting over Portland." And if he could have his
way, it would be sitting over the entire world, too.