Factions in a Digital Age

Tom -- I don't have much insight into how engineer wide scale mesh network adoption. A necessary first step would be to integrate the technology into routers and WLAN chips alongside the commonly used 802.11 standards. so that the physical capability is there. As the cost of the technology continues to decrease, this should become increasingly viable.

The real problem is a first-mover one: most people are content with the current state of the network, and there is little perceived need for radical change.

I don't think FON's business model is particularly helpful, since interconnection between the public FON routers is still handled through the existing ISP network infrastructure.

Do you perceive a need for state regulation apart from non-interference in spectrum allocation? What role does the state play with regard to network infrastructure today (in the US)?

Ted -- The concentration at internet backbones, while a problem currently, might become less so as the range of each individual node in the network improves. In any case, that concentration exists in the current network architecture too--except instead of having multiple paths from each endpoint to the backbone provider, you now have only one with the cable/dsl/dial-up ISP acting as an intermediary. Strong competition in the last mile doesn't address the backbone bottleneck either.

-- AndreiVoinigescu - 06 Jan 2009