{"id":666,"date":"2013-10-08T23:04:48","date_gmt":"2013-10-08T17:34:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mojolab.org\/?p=666"},"modified":"2013-10-08T23:04:48","modified_gmt":"2013-10-08T17:34:48","slug":"extending-voice-portals-with-delicensed-citizen-band-radio-technology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/blog\/2013\/10\/08\/extending-voice-portals-with-delicensed-citizen-band-radio-technology\/","title":{"rendered":"Extending Voice Portals with Delicensed Citizen Band Radio Technology"},"content":{"rendered":"
[iframe src=”http:\/\/prezi.com\/embed\/pmv79juattfg\/?bgcolor=ffffff&amp;lock_to_path=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;autohide_ctrls=0&amp;features=undefined&amp;disabled_features=undefined” width=”550″ height=”400″ frameBorder=”0″]<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
So in our last post, we laid out how to make a really cheap IVR based voice portal that links voice users to the web for under USD200<\/div>\n
However, running a voice portal isn’t for everyone.<\/div>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\n
\nWhere the voice portal model breaks<\/strong><\/p>\n
<\/div>\n
There is a cost of access<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
<\/strong><\/em>Since the voice portal uses a SIM card and most countries license out the spectrum to service providers, there is always a cost of access to be paid to the carrier.<\/div>\n
For public services, this cost may be borne by the service provider, e.g. The Government runs several IVR based hotlines, that work on the toll free model.<\/div>\n
For developmental activity based portals that have a focussed concern backing them,\u00a0the cost of access may again be borne by the party with the vested interest in running the portal, in the form of a toll free number via a partnership with a telco or a missed call and callback system, where callers leave a missed call and the system calls them back, thereby putting the cost of access on the provider end<\/div>\n

If a community was to set up a shared platform the cost of access may be borne by the users or by the community as a whole or some combination thereof, e.g. the community may pool resources to ensure a common minimum access to the system with additional access being charged per user, with the accumulated revenue being used as a corpus to ensure the common minimum
\nHowever, in all these cases, what is common is that the cost of access is being paid to a third party, i.e. the provider, who is not a direct stakeholder in the goals of the portal\/platform<\/p>\n

There’s a cost of infrastructure<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
<\/strong><\/em>The traditional understanding about voice portals is that a centralized infrastructure of telephony systems and internet servers is needed to run one.<\/div>\n
This means that a tie up with an ISP and\/or a telco is a basic requirement to set up a voice portal under most circumstances.<\/div>\n
\n

This is not an optimal situation either from the standpoint of risk or of sustainability.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/em>From the point of view of risk, it represents a single point of failure\u00a0i.e. should the provider choose to withdraw services for whatever reason, the platform would no longer be able to function<\/p>\n

From the point of view\u00a0of sustainability it represents a drain on the system\u00a0i.e. resources are constantly draining from the system in order to sustain the system.<\/p>\n

In order to remedy this the community can take one of two routes<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/em>Increase the stake of the provider in the community<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>This would potentially be possible for large affluent communities who can significantly influence the revenue stream of the provider.\u00a0This approach can typically be taken by urban systems.\u00a0The centralized toll free number model of voice portals follows this approach<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

By providing a channel for commercial communication, i.e. advertising to a large population with some purchasing power, a service provider can create a niche in the marketplace<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Reduce the dependence on the provider<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the case of populations that do not have significant purchasing power, influencing the provider is not a feasible option<\/p>\n

The recourse then is to reduce dependence on the provider by investing in low cost, locally implementable communications systems that use DELICENSED technology, i.e. technology that is freely available to everyone to use by law.<\/div>\n

Just as classified information that loses its relevance over time is eventually declassified, licensed technology that has lived out its core earning potential is typically delicensed
\nWhile such technology may not be able to provide the richest experience to the user, with intelligent design it can provide very usable means of connecting to each other and to the information superhighway
\nWe call this the “plenty of room at the bottom” phenomenon<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n
What we’re working on<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/strong>We have been hosting and maintaining a varying number of voice portals over the last three years.<\/div>\n
We find that the ratio of contributors to listeners on our portals is roughly 1 to 9\u00a0i.e. 90 per cent of our callers are just listening<\/div>\n
Since most of our userbase is composed of people who earn less than a dollar a day, the service is fully subsidised through grants that pay for the callbacks to users who simply have to leave a missed call<\/div>\n
If we were able to have our listeners listen in without a per access cost, we could theoretically reduce our burn rate to a 10th\u00a0i.e. the money that would last us 1 year under present conditions would then last us for 10 years allowing us to run the service for much longer<\/div>\n
To this end we have been searching for an appropriate delicensed medium that can allow many users to listen simultaneously to the content being released on the IVR channel, without an incremental cost of access<\/div>\n
We found a very strong candidate for a solution in Citizen Band Radio<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Citizen Band radio is a pre-cellphone era technology, used by truckers on long haul routes in the US, to be able to stay in touch while on roads away from telephone networks.<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
In India, the use of CB Radio is delicensed as explained by these two documents<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
WPC Notification on CB Radio Delicensing<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n
    \n
  • Use of wireless equipment in the band 26.957 \u2013 27.283 MHz.- Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, no licence shall be required by any person to establish, maintain, work, possess or deal in any wireless equipment intended to be used while in motion or during halts, on non-interference, non-protection and shared (non-exclusive) basis, in the frequency band 26.957 \u2013 27.283 MHz with 5 Watt Effective Radiated Power and built-in antenna<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    WPC Remarks in the National Frequency Allocation Table<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

    \n\n<\/colgroup>\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    Frequency (kHz)<\/b><\/td>\nType of Purpose<\/b><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    26964, 26972, 27036, 27124<\/td>\nPersonal Communication Relating to Hobbies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27250, 27260<\/td>\nRadio Controlled Toys\/low power electric gadgets<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27004, 27116, 27148, 27156, 27228<\/td>\nAeromodelling<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27140, 27204 ,26968, 26976<\/td>\nMountaineering<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27220, 27244<\/td>\nRadio Communication Relating To Sports Events<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27012, 27028, 27172, 27212<\/td>\nCommunication Requirement In Rural Areas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27044
    \n27052<\/td>\n    		Communication Relating To Road Accident\/Emergencies:
    \nContacting Police
    \nContacting Hospitals\/Ambulance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    26980, 27236<\/td>\nCommunication Needs On Highways<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27092, 27100<\/td>\nCommunication Requirements Of Wild Life\/Forest Conservation<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27060, 27068<\/td>\nLife Saving Communication In Coastal Water\/Rivers\/Lakes<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27076, 27084<\/td>\nNatural Disaster Relief<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27020, 27108<\/td>\nFor Special Radio Controlled Devices (Garage Door Openers, Safety Alarm Etc.)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    27155, 27225<\/td>\nRadio control of models<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
    26988, 26996, 27132 27164, 27180, 27188,27196, 27252, 27268,27276<\/td>\nSpare Channels For Future Requirements<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n
    <\/div>\n
    How we use CB<\/strong><\/em><\/div>\n

    We use a standard manufactured transciever from President Electronics as the transmitter station. This ensures that we conform to the WPC regulations on radiating power etc.
    \nFor the receivers, we are currently working on perfecting a modification for cheaply available AM\/FM radio sets, that can be implemented by local electronics tinkerers such as mobile shop owners etc
    \nThere is no transmitter on the reception end, so the power regulations do not need to be managed on a per receiver basis.<\/p>\n

    The deployment pattern that we envision is a low cost, Raspberry Pi based IVR server, linked to a CB Transmitter that conforms to norms, both powered by a low cost solar cell. This could become a very effective, sustainable community communication tool.<\/div>\n

    The incoming content could still be received over the mobile channel, but since it would be relatively less volumnious it would pose less of a drain on the system.
    \nThe cost of access for listeners would be a one time investment in a low cost modified receiver, which would typically cost about $3 with the modifications we are working on.
    \nAmortized over the life of the server, the cost of access would be comparitively much lower than a pure mobile based approach.
    \nAlso with the expanded free listener base, there is a stronger chance of localized revenue generation becoming possible through the platform, helping contribute to sustainability
    \nAt the moment we are able to broadcast to a ~4-5 kilometer radius. The goal is to fine tune the circuit and the antenna we are using to be able to receive at as long a range as possible
    \nWatch this space for more updates<\/p>\n

     <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    [iframe src=”http:\/\/prezi.com\/embed\/pmv79juattfg\/?bgcolor=ffffff&amp;lock_to_path=0&amp;autoplay=0&amp;autohide_ctrls=0&amp;features=undefined&amp;disabled_features=undefined” width=”550″ height=”400″ frameBorder=”0″] So in our last post, we laid out how to make a really cheap IVR based voice portal that links voice users to the web for under USD200 However, running a voice portal isn’t for everyone.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-666","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/666","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=666"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/666\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=666"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=666"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mojolab.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=666"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}