Telecoms sans frontiers

Just reading back thru posts in this blog, I see the post about the katrina telecoms crisis. Recently, TSF Telecoms Sans Frontieres have cropped up numerous times in news reports I have read. I am excited to read of their existence and the technology they use in crisis situations, especially the funky satellites they can set up in under 30 mins from arrival.

Sadly, I do not possess the necessary skills to apply as a volunteer, but their existence has highlighted to me the need for a TSF sans crisis. We have managed it once, as far as I know, with huge success with the Wennington project, when a small squad (we called outselves a SWAT team) of wireless, wifi, community etc folk got together to install comms into a rural village where the incumbent feared to tread (for lack of profits). I would dearly love to repeat that experiment, because the financial benefits to that community in Wennington far, far outweighs the £30k put in to build the network. If only other development agencies, councils, communities etc could help to fund wireless community networks, or even better fibre/fiwi (fibre-wireless) networks with some FTTH and smart meters, CCTV etc built in that would assist economic regeneration of areas that BT et al have long neglected.

The lack of FTTH development in the UK remains a complete mystery to me, especially now it is so obvious in other countries, and often it starts in the rural areas I have long campaigned to connect, not the urban areas where competition and cherry picking attracts the telcos. The economics of FTTH are now apparent to all, and well understood by all but the consumers (and probably politicians) it seems, who still fail to pursue the telcos with the enthusiasm and energy that has seen such projects as those in rural Sweden, Denmark, Holland etc succeed. Roll on the End Game, I say, with FTTH starting in the UK in the deeply unconnected rural areas, like my own in Eden in Cumbria, where in 2007, we still don't see more than 512kbps download on a very good sunny day once in a blue moon. (Upload is stil less than on dial up for 90+% of the time) - oh fun!)

Why facebook etc is important to biz

All over the news - companies are banning facebook etc as it is costing untold millions for employees to live their online lives at work. One question: are those self-same employees slagging off the companies they work for (because they are only allowed online after work etc or in secrecy) or acting as unpaid marketers with the odd/regular nugget of PR done for the company in areas that company would never consider marketing normally?

I personally think facebook, myspace, cyworld etc are all places where companies should be marketing in some way nowadays. Just the same as blogs, podcasts, forums etc were all previously freaky, edge of the network oddities that have become a very serious part of any company's armoury in the marketing world, so will mini hompies, myspace, bebo etc. The companies who do not adopt these techniques can only lose out. Especially if they unleash a set of disgruntled (ex) employees into the online world who were not allowed to drop in links to the company products, website, write positive reviews anonymously, link, promote etc in their daily online working lives.

The TUC may not have phrased their report about the importance of facebook etc in language that IOD etc understand, but actually, any company who blocks usage of these social networking sites is not improving productivity; it is creating a workforce who feel they are misunderstood, and who stop marketing and promoting the company they work for because of management misunderstanding.

The cost to a company of not using every form of promotion, its resources etc in a positive, understanding manner? Possibly priceless. Stick it in the balance sheet under 'loss', guys. Open your eyes.

Networking is vitally important to any business, and if your employees are willing to do it without you forking out a fortune to put up stands at expos, or for them to attend seminars or networking events during their working days, and they are doing it for free, then hell, what gain??

And really, at the end of the day, if they are booking a flight online during working hours, and then they go abroad on a holiday during their 4 weeks off, how do you know who they will talk to, what they will say about your company, and the damage/benefit that might have?

In the last few weeks, in our tiny little village, we have had someone high up in Converse (the shoes), the grandson of the person who actually farmed at Emmerdale farm (before it became a soap), David Beckham's tattooists best mate (boy, did he have some goss to tell us), and a signed copy of William Hague's latest book that a sprog acquired from him - all in our pub with a mere 12 regulars. Each of those people who met our bunch of 'marketers' also has (potentially) gone away with a story to tell from us too. And it is surprising how many people come back, year on year to this place.

Imagine that those in our village who have met these people over the last few weeks were one of your employees. And instead of marketing for you, or marketing our village, our pub, our county, we had lots of bad things to say about working conditions, the prohibitions, the quality of the service in the company etc etc just because you had banned us from social networking - or going to the pub. Whether it is on Bebo, myspace, or in the local, down the nearest Starbucks etc, if you treat your employees well, they will promote your business everywhere they go. If you forbid them from going places, all you can attract from it is long-term, bad PR.

Personally, I advise all the SMEs I deal with to get the word out about their companies on the Net, wherever that may be. And I think it is highly telling that some of the most successful Korean companies have had a Cyworld mini hompy for several years, and have built communities around them. Ditto YouTube minivids etc about products, or off the wall, viral online marketing ideas. Add Myspace etc to your corporate blacklist for surfing, and all you are doing is limiting the social networking and marketing that your employees do for you, surely? Oh yeah, and p*&^ them off at the same time so they end up moving on, and slagging you off even more as ex-employees! Economic effect? -ve.

I disagree with the blacklisting of social networking sites for any employee because I think every employee is part of the marketing machine for the company they work for. And every business who realises that, is generally a winner if there is a good product stack behind them. Those who rely on traditional methods for marketing are going to end up losing out as others set up myspace product pages, and communities, and videos, podcasts etc, all supported by loyal employees.

Google allows its employees 20-25% of their working lives for pet projects of their choice, to go the gym, to play, to learn, to discover online, to surf. Are you stymying your employees growth, or letting them discover new avenues for their own growth, for the growth of your company and its product range, to find new customers, suppliers, competitors? How valuable are the discoveries your employees come across accidentally and are you willing to learn from those experiences?

Add social capital to your balance sheet and see just how many 'coincidental' leads from conversations your employees have had on or offline have led to sales, new product development, worthwhile events, better suppliers, cost savings etc etc, and then tell me that networking hasn't got an economic worth to every company who partakes in it and encourages its employees to do the same.

The book

Where did 18 months go? Oh well, at least book no 1 is now published.

JFDI Community Broadband@ Wennington

Madrid

Sat/sitting in Madrid. Free wiffy abounding. But comps ridden with spyware etc and need help. Not in my spec, I'm here on holiday for next 48 hrs but there is one laptop I might have to sort out.

it is currently running so hot I have it propped up on an empty packet of Marlboro from the next table and I wouldn't like to rest my hand on the asdf keys cos travel insurance as far as I can see doesn't cover third or first degree burns gained by being a dipstick.

Found ultimate pub. That's all I wanted to say to others coming to Madrid. Free wifi, Guinness, pool and Floyd nd Zappa on jike box.

Fingers burning, gonna turn this lot off......ow ow

Sad day

Have just heard that Malcolm Laws passed away last Wednesday. He will be sorely missed by many, many people in the broadband and communications world.

I met him in November 2002 at the first BSG conference when I was given an opportunity to speak to 400 delegates (or so). I was terrified. And writing the speech in the half hour or so before my 'slot' wasn't necessarily a bright move! Malcolm was the facilitator of my session and was hugely supportive of me personally that day, and has been since.

He believed in ABC and the need for it, and was enthusiastic about making it happen. Without him, I suspect that much that ABC has achieved would not have been possible. He opened many doors, and was a catalyst for the actions that led to ABC actually becoming 'real'. Interaxion was a fantastic magazine that had huge potential and Simoli was doing well too when Malcolm had to take a back seat because of illness.

We were all privileged to know him, and my deepest sympathies go to his young family.

New orleans, on the fly WISPS etc

The last post I made was about a flood in Lancashire, Northern England and I'd found a book which highlighted the implementation of landlines and wireless in a crisis situation in the 60's. It surprised me, if you remember (if you don't, read the alst post).

I could have had no idea that the next thing that forced me to post would be a similar crisis, in the noughties, in the US, in a big city. The similarities are alarming. The stories I am hearing from over there in the last few days show that we have learnt BUGGER ALL scuse my French.

If we fail to learn from history, we will continue to face each crisis as a novelty, without the experience to overcome certain hurdles and approach new ones. We are taking x+3 steps back for x forwards. The fact that bodies are still lying in the streets today, almost 14 days after Katrina hit, is horrific. But the fact that no-one has managed to:

1) Set up a wireless network within any of the refugee centres and dish out simple radios to allow communication to the refugees from the aid agencies, FEMA etc even though the FCC AFAIK granted instant emergency licenses
a) FEMA refused to allow into the Super Bowl in New Orleans many of the fully trained and qualified wireless engineers due to lack of "the appropriate papers"
2) set up Skype or similar voice mail boxes on every single mobile number for the stricken states

leaves you wondering about the last remaining global super power's capabilities. Especailly after all they achieved in Aceh, Sri Lanka etc within days and weeks of the tsunami. $51 bn needed in aid for the US? Ho HUM. Your popularity rating in the US was at an all-time low, in case you hadn't noticed. At a guess, it's just plummeted. It has in this house and village anyway. Sympathy is only available for real people, not the senators, etc nor the fact you keep voting them in, or letting them con their way in to 'celebrity government lifestyles' at your expense.

I am not taking credit for the wireless stuff. This came from our CEO, Brian Condon, of Access to Broadband Campaign when I phoned him at Big Hook in Boston yesterday, and he may have overheard it elsewhere, (it's quite likely he came up with it on his own) but c'mon. This is easy stuff. However poor, most of the people stricken by the floods had a mobile, yeah? Then grab the database, stick a Skype voice mailbox on the end of every number and let people search for their friends and family, leave messages etc. It would be so fecking easy to do and cost bugger all to allow people to at least leave a voice mail msg, "We are in Baton Rouge but missing Uncle X. Please leave a msg so we know where you are". "John, I'm calling your number so you knwo we are OK, ring us on 555-etc".

In a world of global communication, the fact that there is still no database of the missing or dead, no internet access for many of the survivors, none of the basic telco stuff that we all take for granted is being used/adapted etc. God, I am so pissed off with the authorities. Because when I see them failing abysmally, I read about community networkers (CANdoers) who have set off out with a few access points and antennas and set up networks that can cope with the crisis comms that this crisis needs.

You want $51 billion Bush to recover from this 'disaster'? Well, give some of it to the telecommunications experts who could have had you in touch with the ground the day you flew low over NO and ever since, if you just realised what they CANdo.

portable land lines

Should be asleep in bed but Chris gave me the story of Wray flood to read and I am.

This is very interesting -the whole book is mega but this is intriguing.....

p.51 of "The Wray Flood of 1967" Emmeline Garnett isbn 1-86220-119-6

"The Cave Rescue people appeared on the opposite side of the river.......at Bridge End, and they were shouting across "We've got a land line, we've got a telephone land line, can we bring it across?" I said "Ay, bring it across." And they'd come from Settle, and they were used to doing this kind of thing - up on the fells they've got to get land lines to caves where probably somebody's life's in danger, you know, they've got to get a land line up, and they were quite used to it. And they had these reels of wire, and they came over this debris which was on top of the bridge. The bridge had been half destroyed but there were piles of trees just perched on top of it...They came across there, and up to the Institute, and got communication...they were there within about an hour."

Data rates? How? Connected to what? Have we really lost so much in 40 years??? I'm going to see if Chris will let me talk to Emmeline in the 'morning', and start quizzing the old boys from the Fell and Cave rescue from the Dales - one of whom happens to be my dad who may have forgotten to pass on some useful info!!!

P.S. This book, for many who live in urban or 'distracted' rural areas where community is not as apparent as it should be, is a MUST READ.

40 years ago or last Xmas in the tsunami, no matter - it's relevant today. If you rely on video reports, then bend your eyes to this book and think about words. And for those who have recently suffered major floods or terrorist attacks in Carlisle, Yorkshire, London or Turkey, and sent in MMS or SMS, have you thought about a podcast? Have you, who vociferously devour News 24, listened to one report and actually heard it?

Make your own report today, for future reference of your experiences. Video, on a broadcast channel, edited by folks far away is not the best route to telling your story...... Real voices of your story and photos/films to watch/hear will give IMPACT far beyond what Emmeline's superbly crafted words could have because you would still be here telling your story yourself. I love this book, even though I'm still trying to work out where and who and how they fit in with those who I know today here.

Write your own report/history for your community, business, family, etc and add to our heritage. Someone, someday, will listen, watch and learn. If only we did more of it and knew how to store it for future generations. My kids will knowabout the flood of wray tomorrow through oral history - if that is all we have, then learn to podcast fast!!!!

Ethernet over power

When I get home, I hope that my 2 boxes of still-to-be-strung cat 5 and assorted boxlets of faceplates, RJ45s etc will now be going on ebay. And the string dangling all over the house can be removed!

Have finally got my hands on the ethernet over power kit which means every fixed computer in the house will be on Phoenix through the plug sockets not through the switch, string and patch panel set up.

This also means that visitors can plug laptops etc straight into the mains and be on the network. I may need to put an extension cable into the layby opposite for the 'nomads' using the network until the antenna on the roof is fixed (or invite them in!) but hey....

Ethernet over power has made the installs recently a ton easier as the LMR400 can be as short as poss and there's no power over ethernet issues anymore. Could have done with this a couple of years ago but PowerLine is here to stay now and it's well funky! Bring on the next development which has to be power over wireless ;o)

Rural network in a month

I'm sitting at the same kitchen table I sat at exactly one month ago in rural Lancashire, except this time I can see a whole new network out of the window (with binoculars!).

6 businesses had tried to find a route to getting broadband to their premises. The Marconi database doesn't appear to see them as 'disconnected' (on the wrong side of the digital divide) nor does the BT checker. But they most definitely were, and they have exhausted all avenues of moving into the 21st century, aside from plonking down a satellite connection, with all the issues that has. Until they realised that within a very few miles, a wireless broadband project was ongoing, and its champion - our very own Chris Conder (digital imager extraordinaire) - was our very able hostess for the CBN mentor weekend on 24th and 27th June.

During that weekend, Tom and Helen Anderson of South Witham Broadband and Adrian Wooster at ORB took a shufty round the area of "The 6" and stated, "No problem." As ever, this was a slightly simplified view of the situation, but honest, and a mere month later, the grant funding has been obtained, the network installed, and training has been given to local people to keep the network up thanks to NWDA the regional development agency.

12 families and businesses are now connected to a brand new wireless network that on Tuesday last did not exist except in all of our heads. CBN mentors have gifted over 180 hours of time and expertise to plan the network, consider all the issues, draw up the budget, co-ordinate the thinking and personnel, and help to reach the point where a SWAT team of CBN experts could be parachuted in to deliver what was required. Much more has been gifted by the volunteers at Wray Community Communications, from endless phone calls and visiting those involved, food, problem solving, negotiating with the funders, ironing out major and minor issues, firing up the community, budgets and finances, and much more. And that's just in the last 1 month - you should see what they've done in the last 18 for no apparent reward except seeing their community connected. An inspiration.

Over the next 6 months, case studies of the difference this has made to the businesses will be written and we hope that this can now be replicated for 'notspots' around the country. This _is_ CAN in a box - a community area network solution delivered painlessly, affordably, on target and to the benefit of many other businesses around the area.

I and others have had this vision for over 4 years, and after my involvement in a high profile pilot project of this type which did not deliver as expected, (others too have been and still are involved in CANs which aren't doing all they should), I am exceedingly proud and relieved that we finally seem to have cracked it. 10 and you're there has always been a model we at Digital Dales have cited as worth deeper consideration, (of no interest to the telcos or Govt/RDAs because it's 'too small' but funny how 10 can become 20, 30, 100, 1000......) and that has been delivered on more than one occasion around the country to give a sustainable, affordable community broadband network. But replicating it using grants, a SWAT team, full community involvement etc has proven difficult. Politics and personalities seem the biggest hurdle, the technology is bloody easy!

And now it's done. Another "10 and you're there" project but far more painless this time because the Govt has a digital strategy to deliver, and knows that ADSL isn't reaching far too many people nor is it future proofed. Chucking 30k at getting a few case studies to prove the obvious is a no brainer for the RDAs. Building a wireless network in a notspot is a minefield for them but when it gets results in a very short timescale.....and delivers a solution which is upgradeable, which crosses the digital chasm in a rural area, and which uses known expertise rather than expensive firms claiming they have a solution, well, the results are here to see for yourself as of Friday.

Next....................

If you can find a cluster of businesses who need broadband around you, we CAN do it. We can
* leave the control and ownership of the network with the community if you wish
* offer training on a wide variety of topics from network management through digital photography to internet marketing
* plough all benefits of the network back into the local community and its businesses and citizens through a social enterprise model
* Encourage local businesses to expand or develop services that benefit from the network
* build the best network for YOU
* support you long-term into the future through our own network (CBN) of around 360 CANdoers around the country - events, mentors, fora, 1-2-1 advice, training sessions etc etc.

Why not get in touch? We are the best value best network builders around because we've been there, done that and got the tshirts. We've learnt the hard way, by doing it and getting it wrong occasionally, and we're not afraid to admit that. And we know how much your business and your community matters to you because we live in rural communities too and all run SMEs. And all of us belong to a virtual community determined to get the rural areas of Britain connected to broadband.