[cowbell]

Which really seems to be missing a great opportunity. Why would they want open access routers just so it can connect to one of a handful of local monopoly ISPs? That's not freedom.

If they're doing it, why not instead work on building a mesh. There are enough wireless hotspots in my metro area to link up the whole city if only these things talked to each other instead of to the centralized wired network.

[serf]

mesh networks are made difficult by sanctioning bodies and spectrum laws, whereas this intermediary step of ensuring non-malicious routers isn't hindered the same ways.

[femto]

There's an even deeper problem than the mesh itself, and that is the dependence on a managed address space (IP, Ethernet, ...).

Even with a physical mesh in place, an open IP network will probably fail due to the need for someone to manage the address space. There will be disagreements about address management among the participants, the job will become too big for volunteers, and eventually there will be a need to have a formal organisation to control addresses. In time, this organistion will become IANAv2, along with exactly the same questions about who gets to control it. That's what happened to a lot of the community wireless networks set up in the early 2000s: they fell apart due to management issues.

Also, as shown by the propagation of "three strikes" rules, and copyright notice sent to IP addresses, a managed address space provides an handle for those who with to exert power, whether that be power over individual addressees or the managing organisation.

My guess is that a successful open network will have to use a protocol that doesn't rely on a unique address. For example, can Freenet be run as a mesh network instead of an overlay network?

[ctdonath]

Mere paperwork. Solve it.

ETA: These guys are solving it... http://techpresident.com/news/25200/oakland-sudo-mesh-counte...

[wmf]

I wonder if geographic IPv6 addresses could help. http://tools.ietf.org/html/draft-hain-ipv6-geo-addr-02

[Istof]

there is "Super-WiFi" which uses TV frequencies (which can help for range between mesh nodes)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Wi-Fi