News: Open access
Spectrum in Colombia: Towards a participative model
In Colombia, several government initiatives aim at broadening telecommunications access for the whole population through spectrum. Colombian civil society should make the most of recent opportunities to lobby for the design of a management model that is more efficient and that emphasises the social value of the spectrum say Lilian Chamorro and Ariel Barbosa, authors of a new study for APC.
Why the Stop Online Piracy Act might pass -- and why it shouldn't
The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) is being debated in the US House of Representatives today. Wildly unpopular, this bill is the latest in a series of extreme and reactionary legislation that seek a heavy-handed approach to dealing with copyright infringement online. If passed, SOPA would grant broad powers to censor and restrict content on the Internet.
Spectrum regulation in Argentina: The need to move from broadcasting to access
Argentina is one of only three countries in the world that privatised spectrum. However the recent renationalisation of its control, together with the participative drafting of a new radio broadcasting law and a national plan for internet access, make this an auspicious time
A key moment for getting spectrum in the public agenda in Peru
Opportunities are emerging in the Peruvian political scenario to liberalise spectrum frequencies for open and community use. However academic institutions and civil society must participate get more involved in the policy and project debates say Maicu Alvarado y Gabriela Perona in a new report for APC.
The need to build alliances in Ecuador for better spectrum use and regulation
Ecuador’s new constitution has created opportunities for democratising the spectrum based on a renewed vision of rights, and clearer definitions of the competencies required by the bodies that formulate policy and regulations. The priority now are civil society discussions on the legal reforms the new constitution demands says Marco Navas Alvear.
Finding a balance in spectrum regulation in Venezuela
Venezuela’s socialist development model has brought about significant changes favouring the democratisation of spectrum say Sandra Benítez and Ermanno Pietrosemoli in a new study for APC. But doubts remain about who will loosen the private sector’s grip on the sector. Civil society plays a key watchdog role to ensure that the steps taken benefit the state, rather than the government of the day.
Dear Librarian in Denver: Why are you filtering the internet?
Controlling what users can and can’t see on computers using filtering software is standard in US libraries. APC questions the Denver Public Library on their filtering policy and practices in a fictional exchange that tackles very real questions of freedom of information.
Last week the G8, this week the UN: APC helps Access Now campaign in Geneva
Major international decisions are being made about the internet in the coming weeks – decisions that could affect the internet as we know it forever. This week the United Nations Human Rights Council will receive its first ever official report on freedom of expression online – and APC is helping deliver the message to the UN in Geneva.
New website helps transition to digital broadcasting in Africa
African countries have committed to migrating to digital broadcasting by June 2015. It will be a costly process and it is not clear who will benefit — or where the resources needed to make the transition will come from. A new website provides independent information for policy-makers about making the transition and reports on digital migration in Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal.
Brazil: High-speed connections reach marginalised people over the air
The problem of internet access in a country the size of Brazil is as complex as its geography or its population. The government is currently working on a national broadband plan which would establish high-speed fibre optic connections in the major cities. In order to reach the most distant towns, signals transmitted over the air will be used (through waves that circulate on a set frequency or spectrum). In this article we will review the trends in Brazil regarding regulation of this resource.
India's untapped potential: Are a billion people losing out because of spectrum?
As one of the world’s fastest growing economies and with over 65% of its billion-plus population under 35, India has huge potential. But according to a new report by Shyam Ponappa, commissioned by APC the current model for managing spectrum in India could be a huge barrier to the country’s economic and social development. Instead, he suggests that “it would be much more conducive to a sound economy…to have two to three main operators as we do with the provision of utilities.
Women's rights and realities transformed by technology
Can information and communication technologies (ICTs) transform women’s realities? Undoubtedly, yes. This connection between ICTs and the advancement of women’s rights will be addressed during the 55th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) 22 February – 4 March in New York. The CSW is a global policy-making body of the United Nations dedicated to gender equality and the advancement of women. APC’s GenderIT.org has released a special edition that speaks directly to this year’s theme of the CSW: gender, education and technology. APC staff attending the CSW will provide live coverage from the session in GenderIT.org’s Feminist Talk section on the website, so stay tuned.
Moving with the times: Opening spectrum so we can all communicate
The spectrum both surrounds us and passes through us. Made up of waves of energy that allow us to communicate the way we do today – through radio, television, mobile phones, wireless internet and more— spectrum is an invisible common link that ties our societies together. A global shift in spectrum regulation is currently under way with regulatory reforms being developed and proposed in several countries. As the internet and wireless communication increasingly merge into a singular form of communication, we will be presented with unique opportunities to adapt to open, trusting and collaborative forms of regulation and technology use. This introduction to developing a policy on open spectrum by spectrum expert Evan Light for APC, breaks down what spectrum is, how it works and why governments with under-served communities stand to gain so much from opening up the spectrum to more users and uses.
More spectrum could make licensing a more transparent process in Nigeria
Nigeria is arguably one of the leading countries in Africa with respect to spectrum deregulation and licensing. However while the country follows best practices on the telecommunications side, the process for allocating broadcasting licenses and frequencies lacks transparency and is still dependant on Presidential approval. As the two regulatory bodies prepare to merge to form a single entity, Nigeria to reconsider how it allocates broadcasting licenses, says Fola Odufuwa, ICT expert and author of a new APC report on spectrum management in Nigeria.
Opening up spectrum can prevent Kenya from running out
Currently, about 20 million Kenyans own mobile phones. Mobile phones receive their signals over electromagnetic waves that are also used for everything from home appliances like microwave ovens and remote controls, to the radio and internet. These waves are assigned different frequencies or spectrum so that they don’t interfere with each other. However Kenya is at risk of running out of spectrum because of an outdated spectrum allocation framework and a disaster in day-to-day communications and the security of countless services is waiting to happen. A new study by Muriuki Mureithi commissioned by the APC proposes a solution.
What's the “digital dividend”? West African digital broadcast migration
Nollywood is bigger than Hollywood —Nigeria produces a massive 200 films a month— yet 80-90% of content on most African TV stations comes from other continents. As African nations plan to move to digital broadcasting by 2015 it’s time for serious shifts to be made. APC and Balancing Act launch a new initiative to lower the costs and maximise the benefits of migration for citizens and governments.
New model to get broadband to under-served communities in South Africa
Broadband for All aims to provide broadband connectivity to South Africa’s under-served areas through a community-centric model rather than a telco-driven model. The model leverages wireless-mesh technologies to link priority government sites and high bandwidth users such as schools, municipalities and government offices, who in turn provide a link to smaller customers such as businesses, NGOs and individuals.
Opening up e-government in Romania
Activists advocate for “the real deal” in climate change policy during the 2009 UN Copenhagen conference using a site developed by StrawberryNet. Photo: GreendexRozi Bako reports that after researching the state of access to online information for extending democracy in Romania “we are now advocating for open e-government”. Bako of the StrawberryNet Foundation found that technology in Romania is far more advanced than information dissemination practices, and that if Romania is to become a transparent, participatory society, government initiatives and a business community drive have to be backed up by opinion-makers and citizen action groups.
NOW IN FRENCH AND SPANISH: Do you have a right to online knowledge? Report shows open internet in danger
A major report that reveals how vulnerable the internet as we know it is, has just been published in French and Spanish by two global civil society organisations. The annual report, called Global Information Society Watch (GISWatch), was in November by the Association for Progressive Communications and Dutch-funder Hivos. GISWatch 2009 is entitled Access to online information and knowledge – advancing human rights and democracy. The full publication is now available in French, and an abridged version in Spanish.
Blind people in rural Nigeria get their teeth into job opportunities
Last year, rural non-profit the Fantsuam Foundation trained almost six hundred locals in computing to improve their livelihoods – but only one was a person with physical disabilities. Now incorporating JAWS – a Job Access With Speech screen reader – Fantsuam will open their basic and advanced computer skills classes to people who can’t see.
