BIRCHAM CONNECTED COMMUNITY - 2007

Open wireless network feasibility study

Prepared by James Stevens and John Thombs from Calidus Consulting

James began working with Wireless LAN in 1997, was co-founder of consume.net in 2000 and today manages Boundless.coop in SE London from Deckspace medialab in Greenwich.

Calidus Consulting are a London based IT consultantcy who help companies to expand IT networks and office computing, Calidus also have a Data Centre for web hosting and technical development including WLAN.

Bircham Parish

Broadband services are available in the Bircham although until recently limited by BT exchange proximity to just 512kbs ADSL. We believe it is now possible to order 8mb services from BT, Tiscali or Plusnet - testing required.

Identify alternative broadband provision and promote sharing of existing connectivity. For example CITB at Bircham Newton have 10mb internet link over fibre which they could be contribute in part. Many will already have broadband at home and could contribute much to neibourhood connectivity. Independent companies such as awellconnected.com offer quality ADSL and wireless delivery of broadband internet access and have specialised in community network support.

On our sole visit to the area we traveled 20km by car from Kings Lynn to Bircham and visited a few prominent landmarks Water Tower, Windmill, ex RAF base, Churches etc. Each of which are prospective interlinking points for a network. With linking together of the three villages a priority at least one prominant point and rooftop access at each will be needed.

Each domestic dwelling also has a part ot play in the propagation of wireless access picking up and passing on signals. A line if sight between points is a key indicator of how successfully links can be made so outdoor installation of the antennas essential.

Subsequent research reveal some local business's already offering customer WLAN for example at Kings Head Hotel. Further research required to identify other existing installations and other sources for internet connection.

Rural communities face special conditions as they strive for community broadband networks and self provision of telecom services. Many find that only limited broadband options are available from the telephone company if any. ADSL, the service most people associate with broadband has become more widely available in the last 18 months following an upsurge in market competition. Local Loop Unbundling has liberated local exchanges from BT monopoly control and encouraged new services to be developed. However for many areas in rural Britain, BT remain the sole supplier of telephone and consequently broadband services.

Community Network Development

Consume.net advocated the pioneering use of wlan to build open infratsructure from 2000 and the international freenetwork we can identify today grew out of interest fostered from that point on. Freenetworks.org was established in 2001 by Seattlewireless geeks to group together international initiatives with common aim for open infrastructure and networks free from commercial imperative offering open access.

In the UK several initiatives continue to lobby on issues of access, legislation and spectrum and others consumed with technical networking and freenetwork deployment. John Wilson has been actively engaged in the public discourse throughout, advising on government policy and consumer interests. His blog tracks the changing face of technology and culture.

Boundless.coop is a community built and owned broadband access project in very urban Deptford SE London which has homegrown 50 nodes interlinking business, VO and domestic users in a mesh network over which users share ADSL broadband services and are developing locally hosted and maintained media repositories and information exchange services.

Much of the civil emphasis for WLAN development has been focused on rural locations where market failure of the commercial sector forced independent action to bridge broadband service into areas where BT and others were unwilling to serve. In the last couple of years many more remote exchanges have been enabled for ADSL but distance from an exchange still impacts on quality of service and communities are still out of range of quality connection.

In many of the publicised examples of metropolitain access networks, like the one recently installed in Norwich, the need for local authority employee access is used to defuse criticism and responsibility for restrictions of service for public access. Over hyped commercial networks operators like the cloud, struggle to hold customers or extend service and rarely operate outside of commercial districts.

As a consequence there are few definative examples of community or commercial wlan network services on offer in the UK. Those that have found a workable model struggle for sustainability in an increasingly competitive market. Elsewhere it is unclear how successful alternative models have been although claims of success are widespread. In Berlin there is a large and committed community of network builders who utilise cheap commercial access point technology with open source software/firmware revisions but rely on unpaid technologically adapt users directing propagation. In Catalonia - Spain guifi.net have taken things much further and integrate commercial civic and community networks most successfully.

These pioneering communities are driving the cycle of development , challenging the commercial complacency around them and identifying fresh areas of interest for future consideration and engagement.

Interest in community network development continues to grow all around the world. The widespread use of low cost wireless equipment for infrastructure and public access to information and resources is transforming economies.

Reporting and Accountability

Its very important to offer very clear evidence of funding sources, how any money raised is spent and how contributions can be made! Sustainability can more easily be attained when spending is modest and costs kept to a minimum. Future development success can be furthered with clear information and modular solutions early.

Roles and Responsibilities

Plans and Proposals

The aim of the project is to establish a wirelessly connected community in Bircham that interlinks the three village areas of the parish and offers shared broadband access and local information exchange resources.

We recommend a modular approach from the outset that can bve extended beyond the scope of the current budget and continued in the future when funds allow. If individuals wish to proceed with their own action that a common approch will result in compatibility later.

A start must be made and at a location within easy access of those interested or where group as well as individual access can be easily arranged so examination service and support of installations can be carried out. The earliest installations in a WLAN hold the template for further work even if the conditions and situations differ a successful an ddocumented process is a treasure.

Simple is best but with so many networks in the process of development worldwide there is no shortage of advice on offer which can quickly complicate and confound. Utilise widely available equipment that can easily be aquired, repaired /replaced or updated and that will function with the minimum of customisation even if that represents a cost premium.

A typical module for a core interconnection point of the network say one interlinking the village clusters would require dedicated link to at least one other node and additional redistribution radios to serve local users. So thats £800 for each point to multipoint ruggedised installation including antenna roof install, protected power etc. £300 for the domestic rooftop install and single internal wired feed to enable further computer connections with additional access points as required to give ground coverage) . Simple Access Points are under £100 which the residental users could well pay for.

The priority is for functionality from the start. experimentation is vital, inginuity a must but first steps simple and acheivable. We recommend use of available resources and accomodate users existing systems where possible and prepare for inevitable changes in requirements as they arise.

Promoting Engagement

Other existing resources should also be explored with local groups who might have an interest in using the network and advancing its development in the long term.

There should be an early commitment to regular social meetings/workshops at which aims for local exchange and resource sharing across a WLAN can be expressed and updated.

Invitations can be made conventionally with print and announced in the parish newsletters as well as via email and on any locally published and read websites to target all the known residents of the parish area [some 210 properties] Contact everyone in the parish and inform them of action, progress and the opportnities emerging.

Gathering as much information about how people already create and exchange information locally as well as about their existing internet experience will inform and support process. Socially oriented meetings and workshops will be effective means to engage community adoption and action and will help to gauge the scale of infrastructure required and the use it might be put to.

A community website that those using the network see on connecting could be built to register and inform users of project progress. This could include blogs and messaging so users can comment and express ideas.

Technical Explanations

Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] re built with low power, high frequency digital radios which send and receive data packages conatining our information such as voice, text and images. These packages of data are carried between network points using IEEE 802.11 standards for wireless sometimes referred to as Wifi.

WLAN access points offer the connection to WiFi enabled laptops and PDA's using a method called DHCP [dynamic host control protocol]. Some access points interlink with others to form a dynamic 'mesh' of routes for the data to follow from one point to another.

Each network device WLAN or wired ethernet adapter, has a unique MAC address which can identify users. Some networks authenticate users with a username and password and this MAC address. Others allow free and open access for promotional, cultural and altruistic reasons.

All broadband suppliers have been effected by heavy 'churn' of user interest as new products are presented to the market and users switch from one to another in pursuit of better 'value' for money subscriptions. The net effect of this is that internet service providers increasingly offer capped and conditioned services to meet with user demand for cheaper deals. Levels of contention on these connections is being stretched so that 50 or more can share the same segment of internet access. Community networks need less contented service to be able to sustain quality of service to users typically 20:1 or less which are more pricey. For more information review these ADSL/tutorials

Questions and Comments

Q : How safe is the microwave radiation from WLAN devices?
A. There has recently been fresh controversy in this area. Sadly, fears have been overhyped by bad science and carried on national TV. Ofcom regulate all eletromagnetic spectum users including the 2.4ghz ISM band we use. WLAN radiates as little as 20% of the average mobile phone in use today. There is no conclusive evidence that low powered non-ionizing radiation can cause damange to human cells. Wavelengths are far too large to cause damage to cell structures, brain tissue, DNA structures or proteins.

Q : Is Wireless networking legal ?
A : WLAN uses the licence exempt ISM bands, which are legal for use within the UK at restricted power [2.4ghz 100mw and 5ghz 1w ERIP]

Q : Why would I want to participate in a Community Wireless Network?
A : To support a wider civic aim for all to have broadband internet access. By joining the network and hosting a network node you can reduce overall costs for quality broadband internet and help extend access into areas that are currently underserved by ADSL or cable providers.

Q : So will I be able to get free Internet access if I connect to the Wireless network?
A : Internet access is one of a number of services that can be offered to users of a wireless network. Some community networks ask for a subscription from their users and others rely on sponsorship from local business or govenment for their quality internet connections. The decisions about how costs are covered is one for you to contribute to.

Further reference

wikipedia.org is a marvelous resource for technical definitions and explations (as well as about anything else)