[CAnet - news] Wireless Networking in the Developing World

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[Thanks to Jim Forster for this pointer -- BSA]

Imagine trying to piece together a wireless network with no manuals,  
sporadic and slow access to the Internet, inadequate tools, a  
shortage of supplies, and in the most inclement weather. The authors  
of a recently published book, "Wireless Networking in the Developing  
World" don't need to imagine. They have been doing so for years.

In almost every village, town, or city in the developing world, there  
are people who can build just about anything. With the right know- 
how, this can include wireless networks that connect their community  
to the Internet. The book addresses what Rob Flickenger, the book's  
editor and lead author, calls a chicken-and-egg problem: "While much  
information about building wireless networks can be found on-line,  
that presents a problem for people in areas with little or no  
connectivity", said Flickenger from his workshop in Seattle. The book  
covers topics from basic radio physics and network design to  
equipment and troubleshooting. It is intended to be a comprehensive  
resource for technologists in the developing world, providing the  
critical information that they need to build networks. This includes  
specific examples, diagrams and calculations, which are intended to  
help building wireless networks without requiring access to the  
Internet.

In the developing world, one book can often be a library, and to a  
techie this book may well be a bible. Access to books is difficult  
where there are few libraries or book stores, and there is often  
little money to pay for them. "Our book will be released under a  
Creative Commons license, so everybody can copy and distribute it  
free of charge. That doesn't mean it is a 'cheap' book. I think it is  
a great book," stated Corinna 'Elektra' Aichele, one of the books co- 
authors who was recently installing wireless networks in Bangladesh.

The book has been released under a Creative Commons license, meaning  
that it is free to download, print and modify, even for a profit, as  
long as proper credit is given and any modifications or copies made  
are shared under the same terms. For Flickenger, who has already  
published several successful books, publishing a book for free has  
been an interesting endeavor. He explains, "the Book Sprint team felt  
that the need for a freely available collection of practical  
information greatly outweighed any short term profit."

For the authors, all of whom spend their time building networks in  
the developing world, their pay-back will be having a resource to  
hand to their beneficiaries. "I wasn't paid and I don't expect to  
earn money with it, though that would be nice," stated Elektra.

The authors, all experts in the field of wireless community  
networking, gathered in London for a "Book Sprint" last October. The  
book sprint was the brain-child of Tomas Krag, one of the book's  
authors, and was to be the kickstart of a 3-month effort culminating  
in a finished book. The trans-continental team spent a week in the  
aging Lime House Town Hall near the Thames for a week, fleshing out  
the details of the book while sitting around a mix of old tables,  
powering their notebooks over yards of extension cords and with  
stacks of power adapters. Flickenger explains, "the idea was to get a  
hand picked, tightly focused team of experts together and  
aggressively work on a book project." The team wrote, edited, and  
have now released the 250 page manual in only three months. Though he  
admits it was difficult to motivate a team who was not being paid,  
especially over the holidays, Flickenger's quiet persistence prevailed.

The authors also hope that by releasing the book into the "Creative  
Commons" that it can be improved, expanded, corrected and translated.  
Efforts are underway to translate the book into other languages and  
to provide it to those who need it most, the 5 to 6 billion who don't  
yet have access to the Internet today.

The book is available in PDF form and for sale in print at the book's  
website: http://wndw.net/

Ian Howard, co-Author, Limehouse BookSprint Team

For more information:

Web site: http://wndw.net/

     * Canada
       Contact: Ian Howard
       Email: [email protected]
       Phone: +1 647 722 5629 x1
     * Denmark
       Contact: Tomas Krag
       Email: [email protected]
       Phone: +45 27115960
     * Germany
       Contact: Corinna 'Elektra' Aichele
       Email: [email protected]
       Phone: +49-30-220 192 77

       Contact: Sebastian Büttrich
       Email: [email protected]
       Phone: +45 27 11 93 91
     * Italy
       Contact: Marco Zennaro
       Email: [email protected]
       Phone: +39 040 2240 406
     * United States
       Contact: Rob Flickenger
       Email: [email protected]
       Phone: +1 206 202-3230

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These news items and comments are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect
those  of the CANARIE board or management.

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