Bar, F. and Galperin, H. (2005). Geeks, Cowboys and Bureaucrats: Deploying Broadband, the Wireless Way. A Sociedade em Rede e a Economia do Conhecimento: Portugal numa Perspectiva Global. Lisbon, Portugal. PDF: http://www.commons-sense.org/presentation/Bar%20&%20Galperin-2005.pdf
This article frames the development of wireless internet infrastructure in the context of infrastructure development in general. It suggests that wireless internet infrastructure may represent an alternative infrastructure development model, because, so far, it has been largely driven by grassroots efforts, rather than, as is more typically the case, top-down policy or big investments by large entities such as telecommunications operators and government agencies.
The article argues that three trends are converging to make this possible: (1) the emergence of more flexible spectrum policies, which has removed regulatory barriers to entry; (2) the advent of new wireless technologies, which can be deployed at a much lower upfront cost than wireline technologies; and (3) the entrance of many small business and non-profit actors eager to play new roles in the creation and management of wireless communication networks. The paper reviews the evolution of Wi-Fi and other WLAN technologies and why they have been so successful, the roles of three types of local actors – end-user cooperatives (“geeks”), wireless ISPs (“cowboys”), and municipal government (“bureaucrats”) – in the bottom-up deployment of wireless infrastructure, and the policy and institutional issues most likely to affect the balance between centralized and decentralized deployment of wireless broadband networks in the near future. This article can help communities to define their own place in developing wireless infrastructure, and to understand how their actions may compliment or compete with other actors.
Also see:
Bar, F and Galperin, H. (2004). Building Wireless Infrastructure: Alternative Models. International Workshop on Wireless Communication Policies and Prospects: A Global Perspective. USC. arnic.info/workshop04/WirelessInfrastructure_FB_HG.pdf
