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Community Wireless Mesh Networks, Globally and in Boston

Community Wireless Mesh Networks, Globally and in Boston

Brian Worobey and Gabriel Fishman of openairboston.net

Tuesday, March 24, 4:00 pm
Berkman Center Conference Room

RSVP required (rsvp@cyber.harvard.edu)

Brian Worobey and Gabriel Fishman of openairboston.net and Aaron Kaplan of Funkfeuer Austria present a new approach to building citywide WiFi networks from the bottom up, utilizing open-source mesh networking protocols and relying on volunteers from the community. In Europe, a number of communities, such as Vienna, Berlin and Athens, have used this model to create massive community-owned networks. Locally, openairboston.net, a non-profit organization formed by recommendation of Mayor Menino's Wireless Task Force, is building a similar network in the Fenway and Mission Hill neighborhoods.

This talk will briefly describe the history of community wireless networks, as well as their technical aspects and the current status of openairboston.net's efforts. The talk will then focus on the political and social implications of these networks.

About

President and CEO of openairboston.net, Brian Worobey has long been a leader in Boston's municipal wireless initiatives. He co-authored the Boston Foundation's report "Boston Unplugged" and served on Mayor Menino's Wireless Task Force. He was previously CIO of the Museum of Science.

Gabriel Fishman serves as Project Manager for openairboston.net's Fenway/Mission Hill Pilot Project. Previously, he ran a WiFi network and digital inclusion programs at the Castle Square housing development in Boston as an AmeriCorps*VISTA.

Aaron Kaplan is a globally-recognized leader in community wireless networks. He is the founder of FunkFeuer.at, a community wireless network in Austria. He also works for Austria's domain registry, where he is responsible for setting up a national Computer Emergency Response Team.

Links

Past Event
Mar 24, 2009
Time
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM