This study highlights the importance of the NOFN as not only physical infrastructure but an integral part of allowing citizens access to services. This further links to highlighting the importance of proper management and sustainability of any infrastructure that is laid down by the government.
Shrinking Spaces: Status of Freedom of Assembly & Association in India
Tis research report tries to establish the relationship between the freedom of association and assembly offline and online, and analyses how they intersect and influence each other. It further identifies legal challenges, laws, policies, and the manner in which state and non-state actors regulate Internet rather than following inherent principles of free and open Internet to bring equal freedoms in all forms — expression, speech, association and assembly. Tis report explores and analyses India’s position on various freedoms and governance mechanisms to understand how it affects the freedom of association and assembly online.
MSBC: A compendium of 100+ initiatives in India
This compendium is a compilation of over 100 such mobile-based initiatives around education, health, civic participation, socio-economic development and disaster management well within the central focus of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). We further aim to understand these mobile based interventions broadly into three categories – information & dissemination; monitoring & tracking, and support to frontline workers.
State of Internet Rights and Freedom in India
The study aims to assist decision makers, civil society organisations (CSOs), telecom regulators, policy makers and national and international human rights and internet rights advocates in assessing the state of internet freedoms in India. Further, the report will help identify policy gaps, recommendation points and key stakeholders who can play vital roles in reforming policies, and may assist in the development of advocacy strategies to reform laws, improve internet governance and policies to protect human rights online and offline. Finally, this research seeks to contribute to understanding of how the internet can help promote and strengthen human rights.
Kept in the dark social and psychological impacts of network shutdowns in India
The paper is a continuous effort of Digital Empowerment Foundation’s (DEF) comprehensive research to understand the social and psychological impact of network shutdowns (including Internet/data and SMS) on the lives of people. This paper documents on-ground stories and experiences to build a strong and effective case against network shutdowns, with specific focus on the social and psychological impact. The paper has analysed media reports of shutdowns (till August 2017) and conducted interviews in the affected areas of Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir to find the inter-link between Internet shutdowns and their impact on the socio-cultural-economic well-being of citizens.
Mobile phone: A public Tool
The study, ‘Mobiles for Social and Behaviour Change analyses 14 mobile-based interventions into three broad categories – health, education, and civic participation. It further understands how mobile can be used as a communication tool for improving frontline workers lives.
Community Networks: Regulatory Issues and Gaps in India
This paper reflects views and opinions of community network providers who are trying to build their own low-cost and effective infrastructure for providing Internet connectivity. This document is part of a series of policy briefing papers, a collaborative effort between DEF & ISOC that address technological, content, sustainability, and organisational challenges, among others, which require further discussion in relevant national, regional and global policy fora.
A network by the community and for the community
The paper tries to understand Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF)’s wireless for communities programme is one of the community wireless networks that is trying to provide affordable, ubiquitous and democratically controlled Internet access in rural regions of the country. The network enables for community economic development that can reduce poverty and encourage civic participation.
Policy Gaps and regulatory issues in the Indian experience on community networks
This document takes the Delhi, India-based Digital Empowerment Foundation’s (DEF) Wireless for Communities (W4C) model as a case study to understand the legal and regulatory challenges of spectrum allocation and management, licensing regulation, and bandwidth issues in developing countries. The first section of this document maps out the common elements of these challenges among community network providers, while the next section addresses the policy, legal, licensing, and bandwidth problems in India. This document investigates the efficacy of creating wireless community networks (WCNs), Rural Internet service providers (RISPs), or Community-based Internet Service Providers (C-ISPs), and explores the possibility of policies, which could help in creating widespread information infrastructure for the country to better connect the subcontinent.
