BasicInternet:Wifi4EU

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comments from the Basic Internet Foundation

The EU has announced Wifi4EU, the free access to Internet:https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/wifi4eu-free-wi-fi-europeans

For whom

The European Commission wishes to promote free Wi-Fi connectivity for citizens and visitors in public spaces such as parks, squares, public building, libraries, health centres, and museums everywhere in Europe through WiFi4EU.

The WiFi4EU scheme will be open to entities with a public mission – typically local municipalities, libraries, health centres, etc. It will fund the equipment and installation costs (internet access points), while the local entity will pay for the connectivity (internet subscription) and maintenance in good order of the equipment.

The initial budget of the WiFi4EU scheme is EUR 120 million between 2017-2019. It will support the installation of state-of-the-art Wi-Fi equipment in the centres of community life.

Value proposition

The vision of the EU commission for digital inclusion and a digital society is highly appreciated. Though, it should be asked if the provision of free access to the Internet is the right answer to the societal challenges of digital inclusion. There are two areas of concern, (i) will free access to Internet achieve the goal of digital inclusion? and (ii) Is is the role of the state or the EU commission to finance free access to amusement?

There is little doubt that higher penetration of Internet access, especially in rural areas, is the key for sustainable development and supports:

  • Local governments, as digital inclusion is vital for six key sectors: health, agriculture, education, retail, government and financial services.
  • The people themselves to gain access to information related to education and healthcare, and finally more employment, income generation and productivity growth for everyone.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have identified “access to information and communication technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet” (SDG target 9.c). The World Bank’s 2016 World Development Report on Digital Dividends (WDR 2016) reports on opportunities of digital technologies and digital access. Digital access is the key for digital development being the positive driver for sustainable and inclusive development. As such, free access to Internet will help in developing the society.

Challenges

However, looking into the development of Internet usage both in mobile and fixed/wireless networks, we see that more than 90% of the bandwidth being used is related to video and other streaming services. Thus, free access to the Internet will foremost end up with even more amusement, and not necessary with information uptake.

Free Access to Information

Furthermore, the examples of free Wifi have shown that you can never build up covering the increasing demand without a proper business model. Google provides free Wifi at the main railway station of New Delhi, with the result that the service quality is not satisfactory, as amusement services consume all the bandwidth.

In addition, free Wifi4EU has to be payed by someone. Should the the tax payer be the one supporting entertainment?
Or should it be the duty of an operator to provide good service quality through payed entertainment services?

Free Access to Information

Our suggestion is free Information for all. The core of information are text and pictures, which we call the InfoInternet. Providing free InfoInternet

  • is net neutral, as
  • provides a business model where access to information is free, but access to entertainment costs,
  • allows operators to provide entertainment services
  • allows municipalities
  • allows every citizen to provide through his Wifi free access to information
  • enhances the security of the network, as network passwords


Digital Health and food is the basis for further development like education and work

The CTU alliance will help the unconnected to reach the next steps of the Maslow pyramid, by providing access and information for food and health, and enable the further reach to levels 3-5 for everyone. The WDR 2016 report also highlights the risks that exist if digital societies are only limited to those already being better off.

The Foundation was established in December 2014 as collaboration between The University Graduate Centre (UNIK) and Kjeller Innovasjon AS. The impact of Basic Internet for the Digital Society is seen as a continuation of Internet deployment from Kjeller, starting with the Arpanet deployment in 1973, and with Opera Software in 1994. --Josef.Noll (talk) 13:57, 26 May 2017 (CEST)