Financially Sustainable Digital Divide Bridge

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Financially Sustainable Digital Divide Bridge

• Onno W. Purbo
• Onno_at_indo.net.id

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Disclaimer ..

• I may be wrong
• Some thought may be too extreme
• Consider this as an on going research work

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More References

• http//www.apjii.or.id/onno/
• http//onno.vlsm.org
• http//www.bogor.net/idkf/

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Way of Thinking ..

• Focus on Self-finance Sustainable Access
  (Infrastructure).
• Applications may run on top of it.
• Aim for highest impact at lowest possible
  overhead if possible self-finance sustainable
  processes.

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RebelNet Architecture
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Two (2) Main Technologies

• WiFi for outdoor usage!
• VoIP

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Main Features

• Low Cost
• US150-200 / WiFi node.
• US10-50 / phone line (depending conf.)
• Operating cost US400/16-60 line/ month
• Many Open Source

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Main Problems

• Outdoor WiFi (Fixed Wireless)
• creating a lot of regulatory breach.
• Operator Licensing issues.
• Frequency issues.
• VoIP (Internet Telephony)
• Create corporate voice telephony extranet ?
  bypass most corporate traffics via VoIP ?
  Problems for Telco Govt!!

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Major Approaches

• Government
• Grass Root Movement

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Government Path

• Key Success
• Attitude, Quality, Culture human resource.

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Paradigm Shift?

• Old
• Technology Expensive
• Specialized Skilled
• Licensed from Govt
• Invest by Investors
• Build by Vendor etc
• Run by Operator
• For user

• Future?
• Technology Cheaper
• Technology Friendly
• From the people
• People Invest
• People build
• Run by People
• For People

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Major Obstacle ..

• Old paradigm in regulatory framework, i.e., only
  a licensed operator can run the network.
• No room for community based infrastructure.

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Government Major Approaches

• Set Vision Do Assessment Get Loan Deploy Pilot
  or Write Policy Paper.
• People get nothing ?
• Licensing Services
• People have to pay the government ..

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Implanted Divide ..

• Operators vs. users.
• Investors vs. users.
• Haves vs. the have not.
• one close to regulator vs. common people.
• one close to operator vs. common people.
• one close to political leaders vs. common people.

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Some problems in licensing ..

• Distortion in licensing processes.
• Homebrew equipment type approval.
• No room for infrastructure that build, run,
  operate, and for communities.
• Frequency is commodity.
• The bottom line is money talk.

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Grass Root Movement
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Consequences ..

• 4 Million Indonesian Internet Users
• 2500 WiFi outdoor installations
• 2000 CyberCafes
• 1500 schools on the Internet
• Not much govt funding support
• No World Bank, IMF funding
• Mostly self-finance

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Grass Root

• Key Success
• Ability To Read English
• Supply Created-by-Demand
• Societys level of education
• Access to ICT skills / knowledge for ICT
  professionals

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Demand Creation

• Awareness
• Demand Creation
• Business Opportunity
• Pressure on Regulation

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Create Supporting Structure

• Encourage Student ? ICT Knowledge Producer
• Mailing Lists ? Tacit Knowledge Distributor
• Publications in magazine, books, VCD.
• Self-finance and self-propelled.
• Community broadcasting for rural / village areas.

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Access For Intl Bodies

• Regulatory reform
• Keep in mind a shift in technology paradigm
• Careful with distortion in operational practice
• Supporting Grass Root Movement
• Aim for sustainable knowledge cycle for high
  impact.
• Aim for self-finance sustainable path.