Broadband Services: Business Models and Technologies for Community Networks

Remote communities are at a disadvantage when it comes to seeking better education, better jobs, and higher levels of civic participation. Governments around the world have recognised the damage the ‘digital divide’ can create, and have initiated programmes to encourage communities to build and manage their own broadband access networks. Yet creating a network infrastructure to serve outlying communities is not straightforward. Broadband Services brings together all aspects of the problem – technical, regulatory and economic – into one comprehensive volume. It contains inclusive coverage of the emerging business and technology models for broadband networks, and discusses innovations and challenges in the related technology fields, as well as the legal framework and business models for home user and community networks.