IGF 2017 WS #71 How devices, content & innovative business models shape our digital future: creativity with purpose

Short Title: 
Ownership + creativity shape our future: devices, content &

Proposer's Name: Ms. Sylvia Cadena
Proposer's Organization: APNIC Foundation
Co-Proposer's Name: Ms. Pablo Hinojosa
Co-Proposer's Organization: APNIC
Co-Organizers:
Ms., Carolina, CAEIRO, Technical Community, LACNIC Ms., Vymala, Thuron, Technical Community, AFRINIC

Additional Speakers: 
  1. Anna Orlova, Researcher, São Paulo State University (UNESP): Anna graduated from the Saint-Petersburg State University, Russia with MA in psychology and sociology. At the moment Anna is doing academic research with focus on community connectivity and youth engagement and participation in Internet Governance processes. From 2016 she is working as an external researcher in the Fonias Juruá academic research project at the São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil, where she is also a project coordinator of FRIDA grant for the sub-project Amazon Digital Radio Network using HF radio band. She's been involved into Internet Governance for the last seven years, working as a researcher and facilitator with various European NGOs and youth organisations, focusing on issues of digital privacy, digital activism, open source, cybersecurity and most recently youth participation in IG. Anna is also volunteering as a researcher and facilitator of digital-x working group at the Cooperation and Development Network - Eastern Europe (http://cdnee.org).
  2. Carlos Rey-Moreno, Post-Doctoral fellow, University of the Western Cape. Post-Doctoral fellow, University of the Western Cape. Dr. Carlos Rey-Moreno is a Post-Doctoral fellow in the Computer Science Department at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. He received his PhD at Rey Juan Carlos University (URJC, Spain) in 2015. From 2007 to 2011, he was a researcher at the EHAS foundation and URJC, working on the field of rural broadband telemedicine networks for developing countries, participating in the design and implementation of long distance Wi-Fi networks in Spain, Peru and Malawi. Since 2012, he is with the BANG group at UWC. He has been instrumental in the co-creation of Zenzeleni Networks – Mankosi, a telecommunications co-operative in one of the most disadvantaged areas of South Africa, whose sustainability plan has been main focus on his PhD, and has participated as a facilitator in Connecting Eenhana, a community network in the north of Namibia.
  3. Steve Song (NSRC) is an advocate for cheaper, more pervasive access to communication infrastructure in Africa. He is the founder of Village Telco, a social enterprise that builds low-cost WiFi mesh VoIP technologies to deliver affordable voice and Internet service in underserviced areas. Previously, Steve worked at the International Development Research Centre, where he led the organization's Information and Communication Technology for Development program in Africa, funding research into the transformational potential of ICTs across the continent. With NSRC Steve works to develop strategies for expanding the utilization of wireless technologies through unlicensed, dynamic and shared spectrum strategies to enable more Internet access in Africa and other emerging market regions. He writes about affordable access at http://manypossibilities.net.
  4. Jochai Ben-Avie (Mozilla) is the Internet Policy Manager at Mozilla where he works on a range of global issues as diverse as the Internet. Before Mozilla, he lead the Policy Team at Access (AccessNow.org) an international organization that defends and extends the digital rights of users at risk around the world. Jochai is a member of the Freedom Online Coalition's Working Group 1 on an Internet Open and Secure and has previously served on the steering committee of the International Principles on the Application of Human Rights to Communications Surveillance. Prior to his time at Access, he researched terrorism and reconciliation as part of Dr. Kathleen Malley-Morrison’s Personal And Institutional Rights to Aggression Study (PAIRTAS). Jochai graduated summa cum laude from Bard College at Simon’s Rock with a BA in Political Science and Social Psychology.
Agenda: 

5 min. Moderator set the scene – / the round table will explore how shifting the ownership of devices, infrastructure and content platforms can unlock the puzzle to connect the next billion and shape our digital future. Recent contributions to the discussions around Internet Governance are challenging the traditional business models from mobile operators, ISPs and large content providers looking for alternatives to bring affordable and meaningful access to communities worldwide. What if we get to decide, how, why, how much and for what we connect to the Internet? Creativity to design devices better suited for community needs, to build our own networks to connect to the Internet (like a cooperative or a community network), to establish community datacentres at the edges of the network, to support local media outlets might be a game changer. If our purpose is to connect the unconnected and make the most out of our own Internet access, can we just granted it to the larger corporations to do it right? How can we put creativity to good use to shape our own digital future?

40 min. Fire starters - Speakers have been distributed to contribute mainly on a given topic. They will provide fire starters remarks for a round table discussion, as follows:

- Devices: Nicolas Echaniz (Altermundi, Argentina) and Carlos Rey-Moreno (Zenzeleni Networks/Univ. Western Cape, South Africa) will focus his contributions about the LibreRouter design and the global collaboration behind the design and production of this connectivity device. Benjz Sevilla (Ateneo de Manila, The Philippines) will share about their work designing drones for humanitarian assistance. They will present the devices they have worked on.

- Content & services: Jennifer Chung (Dot Asia Organization) will share about the experiences from .Asia supporting organisations that produce local content in Asia, that reflect their cultural identity. Shita Laksmi (Diplo Foundation) will share about how content and services respond to local needs and Anya Orlova (UNESP, Brazil) will share about her findings about the impact of connectivity and access to engage in global processes.

- Access infrastructure: Michael Ginguld (AirJaldi, India) Steve Song (NSRC)  and Jochai Ben-Avie (Mozilla) will speak about innovative business models for Internet access provision and other innovative approaches to data infrastructure.

20 min. Discussion - The speakers will then discuss on a round table the correlation among the 3 elements outlined above (devices; access infrastructure; content & services) the challenges that those seeking to address the needs of underserved communities faced when tackling the access challenge and overcome barriers for innovation.

20 min. Questions and comments from the audience.

5 min. Main takeaways by session rapporteur – Carolina Caeiro

Contact Information

United Nations
Secretariat of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF)

Villa Le Bocage
Palais des Nations,
CH-1211 Geneva 10
Switzerland

igf [at] un [dot] org
+41 (0) 229 173 678