Bitcoin Forum

Bitcoin => Project Development => Topic started by: btcpr on December 13, 2013, 06:52:03 PM



Title: Bitcoin based WISP Coop
Post by: btcpr on December 13, 2013, 06:52:03 PM
Hello,

I was thinking for a while for the possibility of enabling/creating a WISP (Wireless Internet Service Provider) totally based on cooperative principles and bitcoin. Where I live, (Puerto Rico) there's a decent support for Credit Unions (Cooperativas de Ahorro y Credito). All those entities have private ISPs that provide them Internet access. If a service coop, in this case the Coop WISP/ISP can provide that access to them (they're entitled by cooperative principles to support other cooperatives). The WISP Coop could use the unused bandwith (at night) to provide Internet access to members of the cooperative, reducing bandwidth costs for both entities. The thing is that we can make a CPE (customer service equipment) that is a bitcoin node by default. It is impractical, although very interesting, to make each CPE a miner (unless we mine alt coins). Mining could be considered in a more institutionalized way on the long term. But with the cost of electricity here, it's very unlikely.

If someone knows of anything like this being developed elsewhere, let us know. We'll like some feedback.


Title: Re: Bitcoin based WISP Coop
Post by: Kluge on December 13, 2013, 06:59:16 PM
Trying to figure out what you're suggesting. Credit union CPE routers would bridge their current ISP connection to a wireless radio connecting to the co-op network, sharing CUs private Internet access with the co-op network? You'd then provide the Internet access through a kind of mesh network to consumers (co-op members) for a fee? (with the right management software, this could be a really awesome automated process without bills where you pre-pay for access)

Their ISPs permit subleasing? Which frequencies are available for WISPs to operate on in PR?