Instructor(s) Name

Internet4All through “Internet Lite”: Connect the Unconnected: The Killer App for 5G and Beyond

Sudhir DIXIT, PhD, Life Fellow IEEE

Vice Chair Americas, Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF)

Co-Founder & Senior Fellow, Basic Internet Foundation

©Sudhir Dixit

WWRF 5G Huddle – 5-6 Feb 2020

New Delhi, India

Table of Contents

About the Foundation

Motivation for bridging the digital divide through ICT

5G/B5G and the developing world

Solution from the Basic Internet Foundation

Basic Internet sustainable business models

Success stories

Global partnerships

Next steps

Concluding Remarks

2

©Sudhir Dixit

Basic Internet Foundation: Our Vision and Mission

3

©Sudhir Dixit

We make digital inclusion happen to improve the life of every singlehuman

By free access to information - everywhere

and for everyone

Freemium model for access

– Free: Bandwidth limited, information only▪ Text, Pictures, Local Broadband

▪ Basic services

– Premium: Broadband services

– Information Spots: ▪ Low cost infrastructure

▪ Enganging Community roll-out

– partnership with operators

Non-profit foundation

Foundation by:

1973

Kjeller, Norway:

1973 Arpanet

1994 Opera Software

2014 Basic Internet

Foundation

4

Hype Vs Reality about 5G

Connectivity for All

5G:

20-100 M Users in

2021 ($75 M

revenue), 1.1 to 2.6

B in 202550% (~ 3.8B people ) of world

population (7.7B) today (2019)

do not have internet

connectivity.

B5G and 6G are presented

with a tremendous

opportunity!!

(Low mobility, off-grid, low cost,

Local content, usable HCI and usable

authentication/security)

Forgotten needs of

the developing world

& digitally disadvantaged!

5

Sudhir Dixit

~50% 2G in 2020

2G connections as a percentage of total

connections

“Digital Inclusion for All”

Mar2019, Josef NollBasicInternet.org

@Basic4all 6

https://www.accessnow.

org/cant-reach-u-n-

goals-sustainable-

development-without-

internet/

7

Sudhir Dixit

Wireless solutions are critical to sustainable development

Sustainability targets set by UN for 2030

Evolution path

Telecom view on digital inclusion

©Sudhir Dixit

5

Addressable

Market

?

Source: Service Innovation

through Smart Networks,

Ericsson,

https://www.ericsson.com/ass

ets/local/networks/documents/

service-innovation-through-

smart-networks.pdf

Tiered service offering based on disposable income

9

6G (#5GforAll) for digital inclusion

Addressable

Market

Why ~3.5 B people still not on the (mobile) internet

10

Sudhir Dixit

1) Value proposition for Digital Health, Education,

Entrepreneurship- No help in the daily life, focus on entertainment content

- Voice meets most daily needs

- Literacy, HCI, Complexity

2) Technology and Capacity to absorb digital technologies- Off-grid, Coverage, Throughput, Content in local languages and

relevant services, Scalability, Fear of technology

- Costs for access

3) Affordability (Business/Economic)- Expensive smart phones, Expensive and confusing data plans

- Understanding the power of digital (Governments)

- Ancient business model – Freemium access

Why 3.5B people still not on the (mobile) internet (Solutions)

11

Sudhir Dixit

1) Value proposition for Digital Health, Education, Entrepreneurship✓ Freemium access: Free access to digital education, health, online learning and

skills development,

✓ Local empowerment (free access to content on Information spots)

2) Technology and Capacity to absorb digital technologies✓ Local Info Spots connected to schools, health dispensaries, govern. buildings

✓ Solar/wind, Macro and micro cells, Integrated terrestrial (TVWS)/Satellite/

backhaul, Crowd sourcing, mesh networks, Aggressive use of cloud and

virtualization

3) Affordability (Business/Economic)✓ Freemium model for access

✓ Collaborations with governments (public-private partnership)

✓ Downward price trend under $85 (large 2nd hand market), Regulations, Push for

barter and shared business models, Micro-operator eco-system mandated by

the government, Replace USOF

12

©Sudhir Dixit

The Solution from Basic Internet

Foundation

- Near term- Long-term in alignment with 5G and B5G

13

©Sudhir Dixit

Basic Internet today’s (near-term) solution

Distributed architecture (layered: basic + full)– Centralised core– Local core network– Local information– Local access

Free access to – Basic Information

(InfoInternet)– Local Information

Paid access (voucher)– For full Internet,

including video, streaming, games

Connectivity to– Mobile Operator Network– Radio Link Network– Satellite back-bone

A more detailed systems architecture

Mobile access

Local server/Basic content

server

Wi-Fi access

Free access

Paid access

Content/

App

Providers

Authenticati

on/ privacy

server

in the cloudAAA server

Fiber broadband termination at

village panchayat or Wi-Fi hub

15

©Sudhir Dixit

The Solution from Basic Internet

Foundation (B5G and 6G)

- Near term

- Long-term in alignment with 5G and B5G

16

✓ 10 minute of video = 10 months of text and images [Opera Software]

✓ Free access to Internet consumes only ~2.5% of bandwidth

(1 paid user ~ 300 – 400 Internet Lite User)

✓ Replace Universal Service Obligation Fund by mandated access to “Internet Lite”

Basic Internet (long-term) solution aligned with 5G network slicing

Internet Lite to

All For Free

Internet Lite

17

e.g., basic

access to

Internet by

everyone [Source Adopted from sdx Central]

(1) T. Do, J. Noll, S. Dixit, B. Dzogovic, V. Do, B. Feng, “Reducing Inequalities with 5G Internet Light Network

Slice,” IEEE 5G World Forum, Santa Clara, USA, 9-11 July, 2018.

(2) J. Noll, S Dixit, D. Radovanovic, M. Morshedi, C. Holst, A. Winkler, “5G Network Slicing for Digital

Inclusion,” Comsnets 2018, Bangalore, Jan 3 -7 2018.

5G network slicing concept

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(1) T. Do, J. Noll, S. Dixit, B. Dzogovic, V. Do, B. Feng, “Reducing Inequalities with 5G Internet Light Network

Slice,” IEEE 5G World Forum, Santa Clara, USA, 9-11 July, 2018.

(2) J. Noll, S Dixit, D. Radovanovic, M. Morshedi, C. Holst, A. Winkler, “5G Network Slicing for Digital

Inclusion,” Comsnets 2018, Bangalore, Jan 3 -7 2018.

The Internet Light Network Slice Proof-of-Concept

©Sudhir Dixit

6G: Digitisation of the Society1G-3G: Speed, flexibility

3G-4G: Service view

5G: Industrial

– Business challenges

– ownership

6G: Societal

– sustainability

Sustainability: Killer app for 6G

Ultra-long battery life,

Charging, Indoor/Outdoor

20

©Sudhir Dixit

Basic Internet Foundation

Roll-out and Success stories

What has been achieved so far?

▪ Caritas Kinderdorf is connected and in operation 60 children, 30 support personnel (since 2016)

▪ 20 Health stations supported (part of TrygtSvangerskap.no - since 2016)

▪ 4 villages in TZ established, 5 more identified1 village in Mali, 1 village in Guinea (agreed)

▪ Teachers College in Patandi covered with distributed Wifi (100+ people)

▪ Information Spot Managing & Voucher & Information filtering Software established

▪ UNO High Level Panel adopted and references our work, “partnership for digital inclusion”

▪ Contribution to Ministry of Foreign Affairs “Digitisation in Development” - NO govermentinitiative on “public goods”

▪ Part of Microsoft Idea Fest 2019

▪ Collaborations for Digital Public Goods Platform (UNO, Government of Norway)Industry, Academia & Gov collaboration

Team (who is working on it?)

Establishing a Community Organisation

1. Josef Noll (60%), Secretary General

2. Wisam Mansour (COO, 80%), digital entrepreneurship

3. Sudhir Dixit (Co-founder, 60%) California office, contacts to India, 6G, academic contacts

4. Danica Radovanovic (80%), Balkan office, KPI contributions

5. Maghsoud Morshedi (10%), PhD studies , Tech development, Monitoring

6. Christiane Holst (100%) PhD studies on Digital Health

7. Hamed Arshad (20%), configuration of equipment

8. Peter Edenhofer (40%), DE-NO collaboration, status DE

9. Iñaki Garitano (20% external MGEP), backend system development

Technical Achievements

SIM Card

Set-up Connected Rural Villages

23

Commercial Mobile

Network Antenna

Internet

Village server

with locally stored

information on health

care etc.

Smaller Village B

Local School

Rural Village A

Out of reach

Out of reach

WIFI

Antenna of Basic Internet

Foundation

3G/4G (>20 km reach)

WLAN

Hotspot

WLAN

Hotspot

WIFI radio relay (5-7 km reach)

Antenna of Basic Internet

Foundation

Antenna of Basic Internet

Foundation

Router

3G/4G

Village Information Hotspot & Platform

Village server

with locally stored

information on health

care etc.

Village Platform of Migoli Village in Tanzania Exemplary: Information on diseases

https://Migoli.Yeboo.com

Villages in Tanzania – Esilalei

26

Lake

Manjara

Esilalei

Mto a

Mbu

Villages in Tanzania – Izazi

27

Antenna

Installation time: 90 min

catching the signal from the Vodacom tower in Migoli (~10km

away)

Villages in Tanzania – Selela Marketplace

28

Tigo

Tower

Serengeti Selela Mbaash

Mto wa

Mbu

Reaching the signal from the mobile tower more than 20 km away

Migoli (Nyerere High School)

29

1271 pupils, 34 full-time teachers9 m pole (above trees) base to connect - Migoli health station- Migoli village office

30

Mbaash (Selela)

3

1

Our work: Acknowledged by UNO

34

©Sudhir Dixit

We are working on

● to establish free access to information as a human right• Partner with stake holders – vendors, service providers national

governments, United Nations, app developers toward social transformation by bridging the digital divide

● to establish a commonly used technical standard for a free basic internet

• Promote the InfoInternet standards and protocols• Suggest split architectures with edge “Information Spots”• Collaborate with IEEE, ETSI and ITU to drive standardization of a network slice in

5G and B5G for free access to Internet (such as Internet Lite) for bridging the digital divide and as a substitute to USOF

● to raise global awareness to make digital inclusion happen• Build global alliance to develop a global standard for free access to Internet• Develop sustainable business models

● to connect as many unconnected - now• Partner with organizations (industry, academia, NGO, communities) • Pilot and launch Internet Lite in many more countries

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©Sudhir Dixit

Concluding remarks●Digital Inclusion is the key for sustainable

development to meeting all the SDG goals

●Net neutrality– access to information, compressed text and

pictures through the InfoInternet open to all content providers.

– InfoInternet is net neutral as long there is no reselling of content

●Current focus on digital health, education, employment, gender equality and e-governance

●Well-balanced team– Strong local presence– Academia, Politics, Industry and SMEs

●Catalyst for SDG 2030

●Alliances in Africa and India and other parts of the world

Partners - Hope I’ll see you here …

3

6

Ministry of Health, TZ

TZ

USA

FRES

UK

DE

Thank you!Contact: sudhir@basicinternet.org

37

Sudhir Dixit

38

©Sudhir Dixit

Background slides:

History

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©Sudhir Dixit

Basic Internet – First Pilot in DR Congo

From Africa to Europe:Lisala, Kinshasa++ (2011)– Internet

Kinshasa– Hot-spot, local content

Oslo og Bærum, (2014)– Health ”GravidPluss.no”

Tanzania (2017)– Health

Congo (2017)– Digital Economy

Germany (2017)– Rural Internet

21 Health stations in Norway (2017)– ”TrygtSvangerskap.no”

Pilots in India with local operator (2018)

[Map source: National Geographic]

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©Sudhir Dixit

Basic Internet – First Pilot in DR Congo

Internet provision to Congo (DRC)– 6 locations, a.o.– University of Lisala

▪ 1 Mio People, size NL+BE

Experiences from Internet provision– Expensive access:

▪ 2000 US$/month for 1 Mbit/s

▪ Note: 80 Mbit/s for 66 US$ (NO),

▪ factor: 2.420 or 0.04▪ %Requirement for

self-sustainable infrastructure

[Map source: National Geographic]

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©Sudhir Dixit

Three different variants of the product piloted: – satellite link,

– public WiFi access points, and

– satellite based public WiFi access points

Phases to internet adoption by students.

Experiences – Pilot in DR Congo (Contd)

42

©Sudhir Dixit

Health Information & AppBlood sugar App & Measures

– Pregnant women with Diabetes

– App for

▪ Blood sugar visualisation

▪ Diabetes information

▪ Physical activity

▪ Food and beverages

Infrastructure at 4 hospitals

– App download

– Basic Information

– Voucher access

Operational since 2014

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©Sudhir Dixit

First Commercial Operation

Local Educational Content at – 4 Universities in

Kinshasa (DRC)– Wikipedia, Educational

classes– Bring your own device

(BYOD)

Local operatør: Monka– Collaboration with

Cedesurk

Experiences– Local information– Sustainable business

▪ Voucher sales

[Map source: National Geographic]

voucher access

Internet

(demonstration)

Local Core Network

Sig

naling

ISTA

access

AAA core

Cedesurk

Information

UPN

access

UCC

access

Democratic

Republic

of Congo

44

©Sudhir Dixit

DR Congo – Internet Economy

● Collaboration with IPXextenso and Orange

– Internet & mobile economy

– voucher-sales for digital services

– electrical lights– Mentoring education &

Health

●Pilot operation in 2 villages

– Villages: Palu og Kano– Phase B: 8 villages

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©Sudhir Dixit

Tanzania – Digital Health

● Digital Health Information

– 4 villages with health spots in Tanzania

– Focus on TB, HIV, Anthrax and Cysticercosis

– Health videos