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From ApcAccess

Access Event: Tools and technologies

[Issues and Strategies]

Rapporteur: Sally Moderator: Julian Casabuenas

Julian Casabuenas: Introducing the Topic

John Dada: Low cost computers presentation

Susy Struble: FOSS and access to infrastructure

Rosangela Bieler-Berman: People with disabilities

Issues Identified:

• we have yet to understand spectrum issues and impact with regard to mobile devices

• the issues has close links with affordability

• low cost must also mean low energy

• accessibility can be linked to and ensured through standards

• creating access should be inclusive – this relates to universal design

• There is diverse function in the environment we live in

• Disabled people are 100% of the population in their lifetimes – in other words people have different functioning during their life times

• Information must be accessible to all

• We need to enable new business models – challenge the fact that standards consortia are controlled by private companies and are for US and Europe

• Language is a big issue in access for all and social inclusion

• Accessibility standards for all – how do we enforce existing standards and who do we include the issue onto the broad social inclusion agenda?

Tools: open Book reading machine (digitising books) open source access screen reader on a pin drive

Strategies:

- Civil society – should unpack the issue of standards

- Accessibility must be included in web awards either as an award itself or as a mainstreamed issue

- We must raise awareness in the open source movement

- We can form a watchdog body to collect information, suggest action, develop best practice and alert civil society to new developments

- Conduct a survey of the accessibility of emergency information in different countries and use this to shame governments

- Create local employment opportunities for building low cost and low energy computers

- Develop low energy software that is open source and raise awareness

- Conduct research on the breakdown of the real cost for low energy and cost computers

- Lobby for transparent labelling on energy use of computers and educate the consumer

- Open standards – those that operate under an open standard must be able to provide a test, 2 reference examples in practice, and must be royalty free.

- We must investigate and intervene in government procurement practices.

- We must investigate the real, long term costs of government spending on technology

- Create, brand and promote open standards products, create a demand for products based on open standards

- Enter closed and non-transparent spaces dominated by commercial interests

- Shift from response to shaping the agenda

- Develop good practice models

- Watch health care data, systems and standards

- Create samples of open standard examples with regard to sustainability, energy consumption, right to repair, privacy, emergency, document format and accessibility

- Secure standards as a public good and a social issue

- Use renewable resources in design of low cost PCs

- Local assembly of low cost computing for technology transfer.

- Make clear recommendations or a check list of issues that should be included in standards

- Standards should encourage the re-use of technologies

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Session 2: Infrastructure

Speakers: • Julian Casabuenas – introducing the topic

• Marek Tuszynski – mobile phones

• Ugo Vallauri – energy

• Sylvia Cadena – community wireless

Issues • IF access – regulation on what you can to – no VOIP – and this is a key for sustainability

• Exclusivity of spectrum – even if no service/coverage exists

• Creative power generation solutions – power cards, yoyo etc.

• Base station maintenance in rural areas – are there opportunities (or not) to open other services where they exist

• Mobile technology challenge – openness of open source, legal frameworks pricing structure, security and privacy, human rights,

• Electricity service providing internet – issues and research on models

• Need for shared and re-purposing of infrastructure

• Private sector manufacturer collaboration for homogenization

• Any ICTs that is a renewable energy solution

• How do you work on all these things at the same time – getting energy, and internet into my small town if they don’t exist?

• Looking at more local level intervention might be easier – like at municipal level

Strategies

• start the satellite for development movement

• integration of regulation in rural areas

• collaboration – training – free network, information for action

• develop a way to develop a mesh network with cell phones – overcome lack of open software and hardware too

Notes from presentation

Marek Tuszynski – mobile phones Key challenges:

• Openness of mobile operating systems

• Legal framework

• Security issues

• Human rights issues

• Pricing structure

• Environmental and health issues

• Cultural, language and content issues

Comments and questions - Growth in Africa’s GDP does not correlate with growth in cellphone usage? Is not a possibility - Cost connected to the base antenna – the cost associated with it – for instance fuel costs. Does this create opportunity for associated business? - Also – about the debt of mobile phone operators - How long do regulators say you have to keep data

I cant find any information about mobile operators building something around the antennas On debt – I don’t know what’s true, information is contradictory. Julina asked about the new open source announcement about on open platform for mobiles. Marek points out that there is an open source alternative from the UK that is an option – currently a bad once, but will improve. Interoperability is enabled

Ugo ComputerAid

Issues: Some companies are being forced to reduce power usage, because suppliers of power of capping on access to power – there simply isn’t enough. This forced them to go back into their own code to make their products power efficient

If you look at open office, there still needs some work in this regard, because it takes longer to start, which makes it less energy efficient (more processing power to start up)

Google was asked to produce ‘black google’ so that it used less energy (white screen uses more energy) this is why first computers had black screens and green text – its more energy efficient.

The 188dollar laptop – clearly in term of power consumption, this is having an impact on new designs because it shows they way. It uses between 2 and 6 watts. A company in the US has designed a power cord that can be used to power up cell phones and computers. You charge it by pulling it (the cord).

Community Wireless: Weaving wireless networks for the region (LAC)

Discussion: The wireless summit in Belgrade planning meeting– we were discussing this the other day and we thought it would be a good idea to bring rural and other projects together to discuss issues… Yes, there is a divide in a way, urban and rural wireless - urban actors are punks and hackers, and rural actors are ‘good’ – the one is fun and the other is development! It would be useful for them to talk about each other to learn and exchange – new energy and perspectives.

Sometimes rural projects that are seen as ‘development’ aim to solve problems, but fail to have a political agenda to challenge root causes of poverty. Anarchy is missing – social resistance is lacking. \

No movement around satellite – there is a difference beteeen community interest, models, motivation etc in these arenas. Are there people developing open source models for satellite? There are a few, but there is very little information, motivation to do this. IN Venezuela they will be doing satellite with open source – so we will see. It’s a bottle neck, wireless comes when other link fail, or when an intranet is needed. Wireless is more useful and more fun if you have internet access.

How do you work on all these things at the same time – getting energy, and internet into my small town if they don’t exist? Getting together on matching issues – power (solar) internet (satellite) and wireless network. Bringing the connectivity in is through a DSL line through a provider (commercial) or through a government project that provides you with dish, or through an aid agency. Cell phone usage depends on whether the communications legislation allows.

Computeraid – pricing policy approaches differ vastly. Connectivity usually in Africa comes from satellite, so who owns the satellite is an essential issue. It’s a pricing issue – essentially connectivity in Africa for instance, the same satellite is used in Europe and in Africa, but the price for African users is much much higher.

When talking about infrastructure – internet over electricity lines as a connectivity model. This cal also provide a source for a wireless network for people who live where electricity stops.

Ip is the killer application because the population that you target illiteracy is an issue –and needs are different. Cell phones are not affordable and in some cases calls are not affordable either. In respect of wi-max and other things in the future, there is a promise that it will solve a lot of things, we have been conducting research on seeing what we can do with what we have