🖌 Documentation
October 25 | SESSION 7 — Enabling local and innovative access in different regions and contexts through inclusive licensing frameworks
“This is a session with no powerpoint, but with power.” — Adriana
In this session, Jane Coffin and Adriana Labardini discussed policy and licensing for the community networks, the need for it, and what it means to have an enabling environment for community networks from a legal and regulatory perspective. Participants were then also invited to share their experiences and input on this topic.
Key highlights:
- In building the network, you have to listen to the community and their interests before talking to the policymakers and regulators. We also need to know the market and the regulatory environment, depending on the country and local situation.
- As sometimes there's tension between the companies to serve only the areas where it is wealthier or higher concentration, we have to watch them closely to see if they are giving out what they have agreed to according to the allocated USF.
- Create a good working relationship with the regulators, companies, and everyone in the network. This can sometimes take time. Building trust is important especially if you want to persuade them for the good of CN or if you have new ideas.
- Regulators also sometimes are so concerned with the requirements of the law that they forget to ask out-of-the-box questions. They are used to the consumer-based projects instead of community-led projects, so they treat CN the same way as multimillion projects. As such, we need to enlighten them that there is another way to expand connectivity out there, and that is CN.
- In order to have an enabling environment, create a dialogue between community members, advocates, small operators, ISPs, and regulators. Let everyone know they have an institutional channel to discuss issues, needs, etc. This is especially important as communities do not often have the channel to voice their concerns, compared to the regulators who sometimes have their own fora and conferences.
- We need to also understand that the licensing rules were still from the era of monopolies. As such, these rules are still applied to small entities that are contributing to universal access but do not have the market power.
- Participants are invited to share the importance of licensing for CN:
- Licensing gives security to CN. Regulators also need a change of vision because the technology is changing and the country has requirements to close the gap. CN can help to do so.
- Licensing gives credibility to CN. Regulators need to make room for community networks for some countries where the licensing requirements are tight.
- Advocate to have different mechanisms or distinction for licensing in the CN.
- The need for flexible licensing where policies can also allow for community-based networks to partner with incumbent operators to provide service for profit.
- Licenses can give access to wholesale markets to access backhaul.
- In some countries, licensing for CN can be more of a barrier than an enabler. E.g. in Brazil, regulators feel it is not worth the effort to provide licensing for the CN where there are areas with political and land disputes. Most of the time, CN addresses the needs of the defenders of human rights and land rights and it is not tactical that they are public. As such, there is a need for distinction for CN licensing in indigenous lands (or there is no need at all) where their rights to autonomy, self-determination, and communication are recognised in the constitution.
- We have to open the eyes of regulators that any licensing framework would enable community networks and not stop them. This platform of connectivity are the ones driving the expansion, greater change of sustainability etc. CNs are also helping to drive change on licensing, funding, spectrum allocation and assignment, and USF.
- When regulations in many countries do not quite expand to the rural area, there is a need for working with ministries and regulators to regulate and go easy with less burdensome regulations for CN.
- Licensing can be extremely burdensome from a reporting perspective. So you may want to work with a regulator to help set up a lightweight licensing framework to start.
- Regulators are not used to the world of hackers, so show them our efforts, our works in tech, radio, or mesh etc. when we meet them to convince them. When they see what communities achieve, hopefully they start getting more sensitive and empathic. Storytelling is one of the ways we can help initiate conversations about CN — talk about how CNs have empowered women and children, access to information and education etc.
- When you talk about significant market power, it is also related also to the power of who you operate. Make sure that the competition authorities are not going to interfere so do understand the rules.
- CN might not be competing in the commercial market, but they do compete in terms of licensing and competing within the same geographic territory. This is important for their autonomy, local economy, and independence from other suppliers.
- When there is no legal framework in CN in some countries, technically there is no prohibition to build them. But do continue to advocate for licensing and regulation because it gives CN the certainty, the ability to access wholesale services prices, or be recognised or apply USF, infra, local content or training for CN.
- It is also important to build a model to assess sustainability for CNs from all fronts — economic, financial, technical, cultural, governance, etc.
- There is also the need to diversify the funding and revenues so we are not dependent on one source.
Memorable quotes:
“When we are dealing with a public resource by spectrum, you want to avoid and manage interference. Like an air traffic controller who allocates efficiently, but also equitably to benefit more people, more locations and more quality.” — Adriana
“Innovation happens when you are allowed to experiment, and not be disincentivised or punished.” — Adriana
“Governments who do not recognise CN and not enable them with funding are not enabling them for public interest. In the 21st century we need multiple stakeholder connectivity, we will need private networks but also community led networks that will ensure inclusion and close digital divide. It is ‘suicidal’ for countries when they deny promotion of CN, especially in the pandemic where every human activity is moving to digital.” — Adriana
“When women have raised their voices or regards to CN, they have made a difference. We have made a difference.” — Adriana
October 29 | SESSION 8 — Gender in CNs - community power dynamics and roles - reclaiming a seat at the decision-making table
In this session, Sarbani Belur and Josephine Miliza, the Regional Coordinators for LocNet for Asia and Africa respectively shared their experiences coordinating CNs with different power dynamics in their contexts and how spaces were made for women and gender diverse people to become equal partners in the journey of CN. In the session, participants who have had experiences founding or running CNs were invited to share their experiences with the room as well.
Key highlights:
- Gender gap is more than causal linkages, there are other factors as well: culture and region specific aspects, enabling policies by the government (e.g India has this policy to enable women to become important decision makers in the village), and policies constructed that may favour one gender over another.
- Connectivity is just the stepping stone to solve the gender digital divide. More initiatives are needed: enabling environment, equitable access to all resources, the need to understand connectivity from women’s perspective, and the quality and ease of access for women’s day to day use covering all types of use, from calling to Google Maps.
- We often think of connectivity from a global perspective instead of from a woman’s perspective. Think about what women need when they get on the Internet, particularly if they are in villages. What is the extent of security they need? How easy is it for them to use the devices and access the connectivity points? What content do they need to ease their daily lives? How will connectivity further empower women? While connectivity is built around the perspective of women, we need to ensure it is not enforced for them to use, but they can use it however they want.
- A few questions to ask to ensure women’s voice are included in the setting up of CN:
- Are women equally represented in community meetings when the seeding is decided? Are their voices heard? Do they only come for 1-2 meetings and the rest of the decisions are made by men?
- What does the power dynamics in the village look like? The head person needs to also play a role in ensuring women attend meetings and are included in every step of the journey.
- What are the needs to be identified in building the connectivity? As the main users, women have to speak up and let people know their needs. Give them awareness about online connectivity.
- Who pays for the setup, electricity bills, and maintenance?
- Is there a need for a mesh offline network, especially if the women in the village have no means to pay for online connectivity
- Where should we place the access points in the village? This is vital because in some villages women are not allowed to go out of their homes past certain hours. The access points must be accessible to them as well and cover spots that are women-friendly so they can use the Internet at all times. In India, not only that, connectivity must connect all castes, not just the lower or higher caste.
- In order to get the women to understand connectivity and offline networks, training and workshops help a lot — involve local women electricians to train them, and let them touch and use the devices.
- Encouraging women to become entrepreneurs or role models in their community has a snowball effect of empowering others to become ones as well.
- Qs to always keep in mind when when you are setting up a community network with women's participation:
- Are we creating a safe space for women?
- Have we tackled the privacy and security issue in connectivity?
- Have we gone about sensitising women on safe practices on the Internet?
- Technology is just a small part of setting up and running the CN — the larger work is understanding who the network is for, why it is important for them, and what are their needs?
- Facing bullying from men in the tech spaces, we women need to be able to be there for each other and to pave the way for each other without fighting men. In the meantime, learn continuously and engage with likeminded, kind people who want to help so we would be able to understand the space and open the doors for others.
- Talking about equal participation, we need to also ensure that the women have a choice to be where they are, and if they want to change their minds, they always have the access and information to do so e.g. if they do not want to be in technical spaces instead of more community building spaces, they can do so, and vice versa.
- It can be also difficult to create a space that is compatible and inclusive for women who have caregiving duties e.g. mothers and working at the same time.
- Invite all women to participate, praise their roles and understand their fears — understand that some of us are reluctant to participate because of fears of being judged. Create safe and support spaces where everyone can share without judgment.
- The importance of role models — when we see other women flourishing, it empowers us too and can encourage those who are slowly gaining momentum towards an inclusive policy on gender, tech, and infra.
- Build good relationships with other stakeholders e.g. CITAD has a good relationship with the media so they are able to highlight the importance of CN and gender.
- It was observed that women voices in CSOs and academia are more welcomed than in tech space. How to replicate the settings in tech spaces?
- Lastly, we need to also rally all stakeholders to make them understand the importance of women’s participation.
Memorable quotes:
“Invite women to become equal partners and participate in the connectivity journey in their perspective.” — Sarbani
“This is the area that CNs do best (in trying to understand the community) as we often try to tap into account of the issues that the community have — from understanding the services and content they need, the devices etc. More from just the perspective of consumers, we also want to make them active participants of the network.” — Josephine
“I came into the space of CN less from a technical perspective and to solve, but more from wanting to understand the power of the Internet and how it could transform people’s lives.” - Kgopotso
“If you don't understand something, don't pretend like you know, it's always good to seek knowledge and information and engage other people. Because maybe the people around you who understand the language are not necessarily the people that are going to help you.” — Kgopotso
“Create spaces where everyone can share experiences in an open heart so we are able to create and provide more tools and possibilities.” — Lilian
Notable link mentioned in the discussion:
An illustrated journey of women in community networks: https://genderit.org/feminist-talk/our-routes-womens-node-illustrated-journey-women-community-networks