- Session Type (Workshop, Open Forum, etc.):
Workshop
- Title:
Innovative Approaches to Connecting Underserved Areas
- Date & Time:
Wednesday, 14 November, 2018, 09:00 to 10:30
- Organizer(s):
Sebastian Bellagamba, Internet Society
Loreto Bravo, Rhizomatica
- Chair/Moderator:
Sebastian Bellagamba (onsite)
Katie Watson (online)
- Rapporteur/Notetaker:
Katie Watson
- List of speakers and their institutional affiliations (Indicate male/female/ transgender male/ transgender female/gender variant/prefer not to answer):
Ritu Srivastava, Digital Empowerment Foundation (female)
Karla Valesco, Redas (female)
Loreto Bravo, Rhizomatica (female)
Gonzalo Lopez-Barajas, Telefónica (male)
John Dada, Fantsuam (male)
Bill Murdoch, Clear Sky Connections (male)
Matthew Rantanen, Southern California Chairman Association (male)
- Theme (as listed here):
Digital Inclusion and Accessibility
- Subtheme (as listed here):
Access and Connectivity
- Please state no more than three (3) key messages of the discussion.
1. This panel will serve as an opportunity to discuss the unique challenges communities face around the world and some of the innovative projects currently being implemented to connect them, while working with key partners to amplify local sustainability and empowerment.
2. Participants will hear about convenings, such as the Indigenous Connectivity Summit, existing connectivity projects run by, for, and with underserved people, and best practices moving forward.
3. The panel will focus on how communities are creating an environment in which they can create innovative connectivity solutions, such as community networks, that lead to self-empowerment and sustainability, as well as the inclusion of women and young people for socio-economic development through connectivity and partnerships.
- Please elaborate on the discussion held, specifically on areas of agreement and divergence.
The key themes of this session were as follows:
- Accessibility and affordability of spectrum and existing backhaul fiber are big barriers to connectivity
- Community consultation and collaboration are keys to success
- Education, digital literacy, and training for community members are an important aspect of connectivity
- Cost of devices are an overlooked barrier to access
There was wide agreement that to connect the hardest to reach areas – from desserts, to jungles, and Arctic areas – innovative approaches must be used. Panellists noted that it is important to consider what assets communities have and to use their uniqueness as an advantage when possible. But there are many challenges to connecting these regions, including lack of access, or high cost of access, to backhaul and spectrum.
The majority of the panellists were engaged in community network deployment and discussed the unique opportunities and challenges that brings. Panellists use mesh networks, fiber, mobile vans fixed with satellite, and other technologies to help underserved communities get access to the Internet. They emphasized that while several successful models exist, every community is different and the solutions in each will be different. For that reason (and many others) consultation with communities is key.
But even “connected” communities face ongoing challenges, including equal access between genders, education about how best to use the Internet, technical training, access to affordable devices, and sufficient bandwidth.
One panellist represented a large private company, Telefonica, and discussed the ways in which the company has used innovative measures to deploy fiber (such as by hanging it from trees instead of burying it underground) in hard to reach areas. This panellist also noted that Telefonica works in parallel with community networks and believes that they are an equal part of the solution.
Panellists emphasized that Telefonica should tell these stories of success to other major providers around the world, who are often resistant to this kind of innovative, collaborative deployment to rural and remote areas.
- Please describe any policy recommendations or suggestions regarding the way forward/potential next steps.
In order to connect the most difficult areas in the world, there needs to be wide-spread collaboration. Private companies, government agencies, and communities need to work together to share resources and expertise. Policymakers can help this collaboration by encouraging private companies to increase access to backhaul fiber at reasonable costs to communities, increasing the availability of unlicensed spectrum, and reducing the cost of spectrum for private companies, SME’s, and community network operators.
However, regulation is often a burden to connectivity. Policymakers should use their power to encourage the creation and expansion of community networks, not hinder it.
- What ideas surfaced in the discussion with respect to how the IGF ecosystem might make progress on this issue?
Collaboration was a recurrent theme throughout the session. The IGF can continue to facilitate these discussions between many stakeholder groups.
However, it was noted that there were very few sessions on innovative connectivity solutions, particularly related to community networks, and two of them were scheduled at the same time. This session and a session on financing networks were concurrent, and the financing session was ultimately combined with a session on block chain. It was disappointing to split the audience for this important work, and the panellists (and organizers) hope that the IGF organizers will be more aware of scheduling conflicts like this in the future.
- Please estimate the total number of participants.
50
- Please estimate the total number of women and gender-variant individuals present.
Uncertain
- To what extent did the session discuss gender issues, and if to any extent, what was the discussion?
Minimally – largely in the context of access for particularly underserved groups.
