IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - September/October 2022 - 9

about " running out of Internet " [sic]. That is difficult
in the abstract, but we can start by realizing
that the PPI approach is the normon campuses, in
businesses, and in our homes. At home you just
plug in a device and do not worry about logging in
or a separate subscription for each device.3
I use the term " Campusmodel " modelbecause it
provides coverage over a geographic area-a
campus. It seems natural because it does not make
sense to require an account for each lap top or light
bulb, or printer. Perhaps this is why it is not obvious
that the same model makes sense for a larger community,
such as a city. Getting a municipality on
board is a challenge because we still frame our policy
decisions in terms of the given of telecommunications
andmetaphors, such aswater flowmodels.
It makesmore sense towork with small communities,
such as coops, that serve their members
and pool resources for the common benefit. Coops
that serve a geographic community are well-positioned
to provide local infrastructure. It could be a
rural coop or a neighborhood group in a city.
The resources can be used tohireaprofessional
staff to install and maintain the facilities. The costs
would be no higher than a traditional broadband
service andare likely tobe verymuch lower without
the need for complex wiring to prevent users from
connecting without a subscription. Instead, we get
the abundance of the commons and direct value to
the community. Schools can focus on education
rather than getting students connected. Farmers
can simply mount monitors on livestock and track
themevenwhen theywander far fromhome.
There are already some house developments4
and apartment buildings that have open connectivity
but do not take advantage of the full potential of
the infrastructure. This is no surprise-it took
more than a decade for people to take advantage
of home networks and sell IP printers and light
bulbs for home use. While I originally sold
home networking as shared Internet access, it
was not limited and thus enabled innovation
in use. Providing Internet access is the first
step. It can be complemented by assuring wired
and wireless coverage throughout the campus
(or housing development) to realize the full
value of what is already in place.
That is another example of a virtuous cycle.
Anyone can extend the coverage without having
to make complex arrangements and enabling
more applications.
As communities start to assure connectivity,
they can share expertise, and cities can learn from
their examples. The compelling economic advantages
alone will encourage further adoption, and,
at some point, the PPI will become the norm.
Some cities are already moving toward
enabling a PPI. Forward-looking CIOs are negotiating
what some have called a prenup. When
writing an request for proposals (RFP), they can
require that the city gain ownership of the gear
over time and have the right to shift to an infrastructure
model. This helps address the reluctance
to change while creating an opportunity
for transformative value.
The reason, I am confident, is that home networks
used to require a subscription for each
device. Today, nearly 100% of home networks
use the campus model. A per-device subscription
would be unthinkable. And, soon, a subscription
model transition to an infrastructure
model and become the norm.
Bob Frankston is best known for writing VisiCalc-the
first electronic spreadsheet. While at
Microsoft, he was instrumental in enabling home
networking. Today, he is addressing the issues
associated with coming to terms with a world
being transformed by software. Contact him at
IEEECEMagazine@bob.ma.
3
Yes, there is typically a password for Wi-Fi, but that is not about economics.
A PPI can offer open access while allowing existing applications to continue
to rely on such a security perimeter
4
[Online]. Available: https://www.bbcmag.com/property-of-the-month/
creating-a-frictionless-fiber-broadband-experience-sunbridge-in-centralflorida
September/October
2022
9

https://www.bbcmag.com/property-of-the-month/creating-a-frictionless-fiber-broadband-experience-sunbridge-in-central-florida https://www.bbcmag.com/property-of-the-month/creating-a-frictionless-fiber-broadband-experience-sunbridge-in-central-florida https://www.bbcmag.com/property-of-the-month/creating-a-frictionless-fiber-broadband-experience-sunbridge-in-central-florida

IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazine - September/October 2022

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