Globally, frequency bands in 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz have generally been allocated as free spectrum that can be used by anyone without taking a license or paying a fee to the government. It is only slowly being realized that free spectrum allocations can be utilized to provision information and media infrastructure, and connect communities.
Understanding the advantages of unlicensed spectrum in the country and to utilize this spectrum and to address the issues of internet accessibility and connect remote and underserved regions of the country, Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), with a support from Ford Foundation initiated ‘Wireless in Unlicensed Band’ programme in Guna district in Madhya Pradesh. The project has not only adopted some specific programmes on advocacy but also implemented ground programmes to address the wider issue of network, access, infrastructure, and media access to communities.
Objectives:
- Make several such community oriented wireless networks to work on a sustainable basis which could be run, managed and implemented by the communities in different parts of the country in remote areas using open spectrum and providing access to remote communities;
- Organize the technical consultation to understand how unlicensed wireless band/free spectrum can be used to connect isolated areas and communities of the country;
- Bring policy advocators, social ISP enterprises, experts, and government stakeholders together to formulate and stipulate clear strategy as ‘how to make community based ISPs’
- To democratize the availability of connectivity and enable internet accessibility and information decentralization