[MLB-WIRELESS] Providing free *real* internet access to the community...

[Donovan Baarda]

On Sun, 2004-07-18 at 16:46, Rowan Crowe wrote:
> Although the access will be free, there will still be costs of course...
> setting up the AP outdoors with a suitable antenna will probably set me
> back at least $500. I was thinking of asking people who use the service

Thats rather more expensive than I would expect. See the following for
how I've done it so far;

http://minkirri.dyndns.org/Wiki/WirelessNode

> regularly for donations to help cover capital equipment costs (upgrades,
> repairs etc), but with the actual internet access being completely free to
> satisfy ACA non commercial regulations.
> 
> The access would be provided on a no fee/no guarantee basis. If the ACA
> regs change, or the ISP decides it's no longer fair to share the love
> around, then I shut it down.

It is possible that you could get extra security by doing it under the
umbrella of an existing organisation that already has special
dispensations for things similar to this... APANA might be an example
(legal NPO status with special dispensation to avoid TIO).

> Looks like this sort of thing is reasonably common in the US, has  anyone
> around here tried this?

I suspect that the grey legal stuff that surrounds this means that
anyone doing it is either fully legal with carrier-licence etc, or are
doing it quietly and hoping no-one will notice.

-- 
Donovan Baarda <abo at minkirri.apana.org.au>
http://minkirri.apana.org.au/~abo/


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