[MLB-WIRELESS] Is Melbourne Wireless dead?

[Dawid]

"but as far as a metro wide mesh network that idea is dead and dusted."
Dean

I strongly disagree with that. Melb wireless is tinkering with P2P and
attempting to roll out mesh as members grow, hoping that more people
join the better the network. The problem is that there is no real roll
out plan on how to achieve a MAN (metropolitan area network) or mesh,
hence the view that it is dead and dusted, we need a savvy leader to
drive this project. Simply because Melb Wireless is not attracting
enough members and nodes to accomplish the wide area mesh.

What Melb Wireless is attempting currently is so that a node in
Dandenong can have a chat to a node in Melton, this is a fantastic
project in terms of network infrastructure and the learning curve. But
how does it add value to the community, once the nodes are up and the
mesh is running, fantastic we can have a wireless online party with our
laptops with the pride that we are not using some incumbent to do it.
Don't get me wrong this is a great achievement, but to what purpose but
our own selfish reasons.

I propose that Melb Wireless draw up a plan to roll out a community
network, with a deadline or a goal to reach by the end of a certain
period. The view being that the 2.4gHz spectrum is a free community
spectrum, it should be continued to be used as such and not taken up by
the corporations who will use it to try and take over the wireless world
(spectrum). Even as we get smarter antennas and mesh architectures the
spectrum is going to be very noisy due to the support of the new
wireless corporation entrants attempting to attract the mass market to
its new wireless services.

Who supports these companies? The community. So why can't we attract the
community to Melb Wireless and grow the community network?

I was at the State Library of Vic the other day doing some research on
the Asian Telco's. Wanting to use a wireless connection at the library
as all the PC's hooked up to the net were all being used. Told that you
need to be subscribed to an incumbent to use the wireless facilities!!!
At a public library!!!

The most Democratic thing in the world is freedom of information, the
public library serves this purpose. So here we have an incumbent using
free spectrum in our public libraries to supply us with a free service,
for a cost!!! And if your not subscribed to that particular incumbent
than 'no service for you' (Much like Seinfeld's Soup Nazi).

Melb Wireless can supply the libraries with access relatively easily,
through the network we have all the contacts and the know how to do
this. I will go into detail as how this can be accomplished later. This
will also supply all the local areas of Melbourne with major nodes that
will connect the mesh network more tightly and give the mesh network a
super structure with concrete nodes to then service the community needs
further.

There has been talk last year about creating a service oriented WISP to
share the cost of carrier licensing
https://wireless.org.au/archives/melbwireless/2004/Oct/16948.html it is
the link I had, although its down currently (Fenn bailey's proposal).
This can still be used to create a non for profit WISP to supply the
community, with a corporate arm to supply businesses that will then fund
further expansion of the network.

There is no money in ISP, but the little money that is there can go a
long way to establish Melb Wireless, I don't want to see Melb Wireless
"dead and dusted".

Once the Mesh infrastructure is up, growing the mesh and its strength is
all based on numbers. So how to attract the community, it needs to be
community focused. By supplying the home with wireless net for a small
fee we can create a green programme much like the Gas and Electricity
companies do, although by them if you want to do the right thing you
need to pay a premium. Our programme can be education focused (proceeds
going to online learning or a free online library service or all
proceeds go to helping the underprivileged by supplying them with the
equipment for net access via another node!). The other method of payment
(to those underprivileged) to the service could be based on a CRM (cause
related marketing) (Brand Spirit, how cause related marketing builds
brands - Hamish Pringle and Marjorie Thompson) the CRM can be that
everybody who subscribes to this community service needs to give back to
the community in some form, whether it be an affiliated community
project within Melb.

To get the attention of the Public Libraries is not difficult, they have
recently been going through a political debacle as user numbers are down
and are becoming cash starved as a result (I can go into detail if
anyone is interested). It would be relatively easy to pitch to them with
the right proposal and a strategy inline with theirs and Melbourne
Wireless.

To gain larger customers like small businesses (with WISP services) who
will pay (often a premium) for our services in return they receive a
better branding (Cause-related marketing) as they are supporting a cause
in Melbourne.

The cause being the community network, bringing services to those in
need, give a man a fish and he will not be hungry, give a man a fishing
rod and he will never be hungry (plus can teach others and perhaps even
start up a business within the fishing industry lol). By supplying the
fundamentals we can begin to make a larger difference to the community
and attract more attention to Melb Wireless which in turn will attract a
larger mesh network.

We have the people to make this happen, raising interest from sponsors
is not difficult, not with the right attitude, planning and team effort.

Well this may be a bit for some to digest, but I hope that it begins to
make people think a little more of where we are headed and how we can
influence the future. More importantly I do hope that our wonderful Melb
Wireless President has the leadership qualities to really make a
difference. I am sick of hearing great wireless projects being
undertaken internationally, I think its time to let the world know how
innovative Australians really are.

Dawid Ostrowski

Using the power of lateral thinking to create new ideas - Edward de Bono

P.S. Did anyone tape the ABC's National Press Conference - Edward de
Bono yesterday?




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