IGF 2018 Pre-Session Synthesis & Short Report Template
Pre-Session Synthesis Due: 2 November 2018
Short Report Due: Within 12 hours of when session is held

- Session Type (Workshop, Open Forum, etc.): Workshop
- Title: Scaling community networks: exploring blockchain and efficient investment strategies
- Date & Time: 14 November 2018, 9:00 am to 10:30 am at Salle VI
- Organizer(s):
Organizer 1: Carolina Caeiro (F), LACNIC
Organizer 2: Stavroula Maglavera (F), University of Thessaly
Organizer 3: Luca Belli (M), Center for Technology & Society at FGV
Organizer 4: Laura Kaplan (F), LACNIC
Organizer 5: Kevon Swift (M), LACNIC
Organizer 6: Duncan Macintosh (M), APNIC Foundation
Organizer 7: Olatunde Awobuluyi (M), AFRINIC
- Chair/Moderator:
Paul Wilson (M), Director General, APNIC Foundation
Kevon Swift (M), Strategic Relations Lead for LACNIC, (remote moderator of the session)
- Rapporteur/Notetaker:
Olatunde Awobuluyi (M), coordinator of FIRE AFRICA
- List of speakers and their institutional affiliations (Indicate male/female/ transgender male/ transgender female/gender variant/prefer not to answer):
Speaker 1: Phet Sayo (M), IDRC
Speaker 2: Jane Coffin (F), Director of Development Strategy at the Internet Society
Speaker 3: Alberto Cerda (M), Global Program Officer for Internet Rights and Access at Ford Foundation
Speaker 4: Carlos Rey Moreno (M), Association for Progressive Communications
Speaker 5: Nicolas Echaniz (M), AlterMundi Association Civil
Speaker 6: Silvia Díaz Molina (F), Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Speaker 7: Carl Elmstam (M), SIDA
Speaker 8: Panayotis Antoniadis (M), NETHOOD
Speaker 9: Carolina Caeiro (F), LACNIC
Speaker 10: Stavroula Maglavera (F), University of Thessaly
- Theme (as listed here):
Digital Inclusion and Accessibility
- Subtheme (as listed here):
Community Networks
- Please state no more than three (3) key messages of the discussion. [150 words or less]
Key Message 1
The establishment of Community Networks (CNs) has emerged as a concrete alternative to address the challenge of connecting the unconnected. To scale this solution, CNs, donors and investors must have a closer conversation to map priority areas for investment. As such, the primarily goal of the round table was to bring multiple stakeholders from the Community Networks movement, including collaborators from academia and funding agencies, to discuss the future of community networks through the integration of new technologies -- with special attention to the possible use of Blockchain—and the development of effective investment strategies for scaling-up.
Key Message 2
One key aspect of the workshop was to debate how to effectively invest in scaling up community networks. To that end, the roundtable brought together representatives from Internet Society, IDRC, Ford Foundation, USAID, SIDA, FRIDA Program, APC, the Internet Society’s Special Interest Group on Community Networks, academia working on related technologies. The session built upon previous debates on technical and non-technical innovation around community networks and strategies for connecting the unconnected.
Key Message 3
In addition, the workshop sought to explore how Blockchain solutions could be utilised by CNs to create added value and build trust among relevant stakeholders.
- Please elaborate on the discussion held, specifically on areas of agreement and divergence. [150 words] Examples: There was broad support for the view that…; Many [or some] indicated that…; Some supported XX, while others noted YY…; No agreement…
Donors explained their respective funding strategies and priorities based on specific characteristics and goals of their organizations. There was a common agreement that it is important for donor agencies supporting connectivity efforts to work with community networks to know what it is they need vs what donors think they need. Internet Society pointed out that small grant-making has worked well when supporting Community Networks, even if it is intensive.
There was broad support for the view that there are sustainable value chains within the community network ecosystem that trigger social innovation, technical innovation and generate economic opportunities where the profits generated will stay and be reinvested in that community. APC member and former CN director, Carlos Rey Moreno, explained that when working with CNs, we may need to move away classic profit-driven models, as these are failing to connect certain populations. He asked donors to “trust the process” as “the problem of connecting the unconnected is a tough one, businesses have not been able to solve it.”
Representatives from CNs provided some specific recommendations such providing funding for collective Community network-based projects rather than supporting individual networks, and the importance of supporting networks to make a case before States to become legally viable and develop comprehensive connectivity policies that consider CNs.
Finally, regarding blockchain for CNs there were two divergent views, those who believe it can represent a means for community governance, and those who believe blockchain seeks to replace trust-building which is crucial to CNs successful performance.
- Please describe any policy recommendations or suggestions regarding the way forward/potential next steps. [100 words]
A couple of suggestions regarding the way forward were given mainly by the technologists present. These include:
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The management and effective use of idle bandwidth
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Access to manage public access points by members of the community and/or allow the extension of public access points set up by government into community mesh networks by private individuals
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Ease of access to infrastructures (Towers, etc) by smaller community network initiatives
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The enactment of comprehensive connectivity policies that create enabling conditions for CNs to proliferate.
- What ideas surfaced in the discussion with respect to how the IGF ecosystem might make progress on this issue? [75 words]
The importance of making Universal Service Funds available to community networks was discussed and the role and influence international organizations, cooperation agencies could have on how to help community networks make a credible case for their governments to actually design lines through which they can assign Universal Service Funds was raised.
- Please estimate the total number of participants. 42
- Please estimate the total number of women and gender-variant individuals present. 15
- To what extent did the session discuss gender issues, and if to any extent, what was the discussion? [100 words]
There was very minimal discussion on topics centered on gender related issues. There was a single mention of how a network of community libraries with free internet access across Myanmar had been used to empower girls.