What a great solution- the mesh network. Communal, reasonable, relying
on interpersonal responsibility. How feasible is this actually? This
model - what without knowing the jargon I'd call distributed or
partnership effort, each person doing a small part of the task, and
numbers making the big tasks happen - seems like one of those things
that can be pulled off in small like-minded communities, or those with
pre-existing need that hasn't been filled yet. But not so likely in
an area where those things don't exist. Sounds like something the
Norwegians would do, or people in Portland, Oregon.
Say more about how it could be set up? So many applications besides
phone service.
Tory
On Jan 10, 2012, at 5:57 PM, Arlo Barnes wrote:
Open source hardware and software can spread quickly to those who
want it, and clearly companies that sell mobile phones do not want
it. But there are enough smart people out there that communities
could build the phones they want. So the issue is coverage. nG
should be like WiFi - as open or closed as the owner of the hotspot
wants, controllable, et cetera. As has been pointed out, a little
weak on security, but nothing that cannot be fixed. The problem is
that mobile devices move around more than the average computer, even
including laptops. This is why cell towers have been built to cover
wide areas, and of course companies need to be big enough to have
enough money to build them. Big companies tend to not like 'open'.
Communities might be able to raise enough money, but towers are
unsightly and some people claim they cause health problems. So the
answer might be mesh networks - chances are, a given mobile device
is a lot closer to another device than the nearest tower, so signals
do not have to have quite a strong amplitude. This means that people
can provide each other with coverage, bypassing vendors.
-Arlo
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
============================================================
FRIAM Applied Complexity Group listserv
Meets Fridays 9a-11:30 at cafe at St. John's College
lectures, archives, unsubscribe, maps at http://www.friam.org
