rroca's blog

Google bid of $46 billions to "open" 700MHz spectrum, guifi.net already does on unlicensed bands ;)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 04:26:49 +0200

We have a new assault within the battle for the net “neutrality” (in this case the one between the operators and the content providers). This duel of giants began when the big operators threatened influence in the Internet to be able to discriminate between the contents. Now Google response is a bid in the next auction of frequencies at 700MHz in the United States. Google is wanted to turn a new operator of telecommunications? According to them not necessarily, they want to buy the frequency as long as an access can be done “opened”, following the Internet principles.

SAX2007 / WSFII is over: BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY!

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:52:16 +0200

After a frenetic week, SAX2007 & WSFII is over.

Globally, there was a lot more than a hundred participants from all over the world and distributed in many activities developed during the event and achieving if not exceeding all expectatives in terms in content and results.

During the next days/weeks we will try to compile all the outcome materials of the event, as well to continue the ongoing process of building open networks. By reusing and sharing the new experiences, ideas, and renewing out commitment to it that we will keep going forward.

Please use the tag SAX2007 in any outcome.

BIG THANK YOU TO ALL PARTICIPANTS FOR MAKING THIS A BIG AND EXCITING SUCCESS!

IS4CWN: Some thoughts/ideas after the International Summit at Loyola, in Columbia, MD USA

Mon, 28 May 2007 08:26:02 +0200

Back at home, now it's time to talk and provide feedback on what happened last weekend: The International Summit of Wireless Communities in Columbia, MD (IS4CWN).
First thing to mention has to be a big credit to Sasha Meinrath and all the team who organized the event (applause). Was near to the perfection (place, panelists, logistics, hotels, meeting rooms, organization, ...). I'm quite sure that on the event we are planning to host next July will be far from being well organized as this one, knowing our "latin enthusiasm"... will be quite more anarchic and spontaneous (which by the way doesn't have to be bad, simply distinct ).

Jordi and I arrived one day after than expected, after 30 hours of non-sleep travel, thanks to the D.on't E.ver L.eave T.he A.irport airlines (I didn't knew that when I bought the ticked, just told me the meaning of those letters an Austrian colleague when we finally arrived at Loyola). It was just on time to get a shower, go to Loyola and hear the opening session, and then fall to sleep. Obviously we didn't socialized very much that night.

First alpha implementation of the CNML

Wed, 27 Dec 2006 23:07:54 +0100

One of the things in the "todo's" was to start implementing the CNML (Community Networking Markup Language) in order to evolve into an architecture much more oriented to the Spontaneous Networking paradigm.
By having some spare time during this holidays, here we have a first real world draft. It collects the experience of a couple of years developing data models applied to free network provisioning.

The code uses simpleXML php functions and is oriented to ve very fast still while exporting thousands of nodes and their contents. The XML is very human readable.

What is expected by having this is a significant step forward in the way of developing free networks, by enabling a decentralized and spontaneous managing but still being able to consolidate information and networks interoperation.

New smaller version of the Wireless Commons License

Sun, 29 Oct 2006 23:21:56 +0100

Sebastián Galeano, promoter ofBadalonaWireless has worked on a new compact logo for the Wireless Commons License, with it you can add a link to the Wireless Commons License without taking too much space.

The civic way to build community networks: The State of Georgia (USA) example

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 18:50:27 +0200

The State of Georgia, USA, has announced grant fundings of 3.421.225$ (about 3 millions euro) to six wireless communities who have applications for developing and running neutral networks. At the Frequently Asked Questions there are some relevant clarifications: Instead of promoting a single private or public operator, local and state government agencies agencies have a vision of being -“anchor tenants” to attract private-sector investment and ensure that the networks are financially feasible and services are affordably priced-, allowing as applicants any individuals or groups willing to setup a community.

The Democratic Skyline of Athens: awmn.net

Fri, 20 Oct 2006 11:54:06 +0200

Democracy was originally born in Athens, it happened a long time ago, in the ancient ages, at least something like that somebody told while I was young at school... and also I learned about some remarkable ruins from those ages. What nobody told me is that today, if you go there, you'll still be able to smell that flavor if you sniff Athens open air. This is the largest free network built by citizens, commons based which I have ever seen (sorry Mercè, guifi at Osona could be just the 2nd at the best, or at least awmnb.net is largest in some metrics). And this is absolutely live and contemporary.

My lack of Cyrillic understanding of what I was reading at the Athens Wireless Metropolitan Network website before the meeting a was already suggesting to me that I could experiment a very nice surprise. After the meeting, I tell you, no deceive.

How To Accelerate Your Internet: A practical guide to Bandwidth Management and Optimization using Open Source Software

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 06:45:25 +0200

Something always useful in the free networks context.
Get the book at http://bwmo.net/.
Read the full announcement below:

FCC votes for a new unlicensed band after the analogic TV switch off.

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 16:52:50 +0200

Julian Priest sent a note again through the WSFII about an encouraging good news that has been published through REUTERS and featured at openspectrum.info. I think it has enough relevance: The FCC is considering to allow unlicensed usage for data communications the bands which will become unused once the analogic TV will be not longer used. Per my understanding, In Spain that's something scheduled around 2.010.

Looks like now they are planning to do some testings. Intel speakers welcome this possibility.

I heard something that there was plans for using this frequencies for RFID purposes, but still not as unlicensed for data communications. Also because goes inline with other claims in this direction like in the UK. That is very exciting given that 900MHz penetrates quite better the obstacles than the actual frequencies.

News from freifunk: Improving the OLSRD with B.A.T.M.A.N.-III

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 12:01:38 +0200

Has been announced the "B.A.T.M.A.N-III 0.1-rc1 mesh routing daemon", which is addressed to improve performance and scalability for community mesh networks compared with the previous OLSRD daemon.
Something to take in mind for those who are experimenting OLSR in urban areas at guifi.net? Please keep us posted if there is any progress on that!

Below, the full announcement:

Article about guifi.net at CiberP@ís

Fri, 13 Oct 2006 00:20:12 +0200

The journalist Mercè Molist visited us this summer, and wrote an article which has been published at El Pais, both in paper and web format, in the CeiberP@is weekly supplement dedicated to tthe technologies. El Pais currently the most sold newspaper in Spain.
Link to the article at El Pais web site (Spanish).
She also published his original text at her blog (Spanish).
That is am undestrandeable article where she exlains quite well the "what" and "how" about guifi.net, and also provides some real world examples of the network usage by the users.

Île sans fils deploys a rich multimedia broadcast system using HAL

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 19:27:05 +0200

Île sans fils, Montréal, Canada says that they had done a deployment of a rich multimedia broadcasting system using HAL, other opensource projects like zeroconf, and our very well known old friends Linksys.
With this initiative, is intended to provide a a use of the network to the art creators..

Welcome to guifi.net in English

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 01:17:01 +0200

We do provide now some part of this site in english in the believe that will be more understandeable what's going on here to a wider audience. We want also to provide a communication vehicle for the developments, so we provide also a board to be conducted also in english.
Most if us aren't english native or fluent, so expect some funny mistakes in the written language, also while the translation is still pretty new, please apologies for this, and help us with the translation if you can.
This site is best viewed with firefox and a screen resolution of 1024 pixels wide or more.
Feel free to add content on this site in english now! Let's hope that after a while we weill compile a few content and get a more holistic and educative site.

Enjoy!