Community Wireless Networking and Open Spectrum Usage: A Research Agenda

Meinrath, S. (2005). Community Wireless Networking and Open Spectrum Usage: a Research Agenda to Support Progressive Policy Reform of the Public Airwaves. The Journal of Community Informatics. Volume 1, Issue 2. http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/article/view/233/191 Access to open spectrum, and upcoming regulatory action on the issue, is key to the future success of community wireless networks. This document addresses this subject. It comes out of first National (US) Summit for Community Wireless Networks in August 2004, and the work of wireless developers and policy experts. Together they have formulated a twelve-point research agenda to support open spectrum policy development. They have identified three broad research areas (policy, technical, and social), and describe the research that needs to be done in each for community wireless advocates to be able to make the best case for community wireless access to the open spectrum, and for reform of current regulations in favor of community wireless projects. The document is useful as a concise, but detailed introduction to the issue of open spectrum.