GAIA

Summary

The GAIA (Global Access to the Internet for All) Research Group met at IETF 119 in Brisbane. The session was chaired by Adisorn Lertsinsrubtavee, with Jane Coffin participating remotely. The meeting covered a diverse range of topics, including circular economy practices for network hardware, technical and social insights from community network deployments in the Philippines, large-scale measurements of live-streaming CDNs, financial sustainability modeling for local networks, and the intersection of power grid resilience and internet infrastructure.

Key Discussion Points

1. Circular Device Management

Leandro Navarro presented draft-gaia-circular-device-practices-01, titled "Operational practices for digital sovereignty and meaningful connectivity through circular management of user and network devices."

Content: The draft explores how communities can maintain "meaningful connectivity" by refurbishing, repairing, and reusing hardware (user devices and network infrastructure). It highlights experiences from eReuse (Spain), eCoa and Tao (Argentina), and Hahatai (Senegal).
Discussion: Mallory Knodel expressed concern over the term "digital sovereignty," noting it often implies economic protectionism at a national level. She suggested using "autonomy" or "independence" to better describe community-level agency over technology. Leandro Navarro agreed to refine the terminology, focusing on local self-reliance and the ability to repair/operate infrastructure without external dependency.

2. Bayanihanets: Community Networks in the Philippines

John Robert Mendoza presented Connecting the Unconnected: It Takes A Village to Build a Bayanihanets.

Technical Details: The project utilizes Software-Defined Networking (SDN) for local Internet Exchange Points (Connect IX and SciMux) to reduce costs for local cable operators and community networks. The deployment included a 28km fiber backbone and was the first to implement an off-campus, community-based eduroam network in the Philippines.
Challenges: Jane Coffin inquired about pole attachment fees, which John Robert Mendoza identified as a major bureaucratic hurdle, though some communities managed to use ad-hoc galvanized steel pipes where formal infrastructure was dense or unavailable. Maintenance is difficult due to frequent typhoons and limited ongoing funding.
Usage: In response to Benson, John Robert Mendoza noted that usage is currently limited to basic internet access rather than local content hosting (e.g., Nextcloud), though the high number of unique daily users (3,300+) demonstrates significant demand.

3. Twitch CDN Ecosystem Study

Polly Huang presented Studying Twitch’s CDN as an Ecosystem.

Findings: Using VPN vantage points, the study mapped Twitch's CDN architecture (clusters and "Usher" servers). A global scan revealed ~2,000 servers in 64 clusters.
Regional Anomalies: The researchers discovered "null clusters" (inactive servers) in South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines. The South Korean shutdown was attributed to high network access fees.
Methodological Feedback: Amreesh Phokeer suggested verifying VPN geolocations to ensure accuracy. Jonathan Brewer recommended using the RIPE Atlas platform for more granular DNS and traceroute measurements. John Robert Mendoza suggested using cloud-based VMs as additional vantage points.

4. LocNet Financial Planning App

Jonathan Brewer presented the Local Networks Demand, Supply & Financial Planning App.

Tool Purpose: An open-source financial modeling tool designed to help community networks and funders evaluate sustainability. It factors in household income, technology types (LTE, WiFi, Fiber), backhaul costs, and power requirements.
Discussion: Adisorn Lertsinsrubtavee suggested that GAIA could be a venue for standardizing these planning "cookbooks." John Robert Mendoza suggested adding features to track ongoing operations versus initial planning. Jonathan Brewer noted that backhaul cost and household income are the primary drivers of financial viability in these models.

5. Internet Resilience and Power Grids

Amreesh Phokeer presented Blackouts & Byteouts.

Research: The study analyzed the dependency of critical internet infrastructure (IXPs and Data Centers) on power grid substations in the Netherlands and Germany.
Simulation: The modeling showed that a 20% failure in power substations could lead to a 70% failure rate in critical internet infrastructure due to high geographic concentration (colocation).
Discussion: Dan (ISOC) asked if the model accounted for data center backup systems. Amreesh Phokeer clarified that the study assumes prolonged outages that eventually exhaust local backup fuel/batteries. He emphasized the need for standardized data formats for power grid transparency to aid internet resilience planning.

Decisions and Action Items

Call for Adoption: The chairs will issue a formal call for adoption for draft-gaia-circular-device-practices-01 on the GAIA mailing list.

Next Steps

Leandro Navarro to update the circular device practices draft to address terminology feedback regarding "digital sovereignty."
Amreesh Phokeer to share the power grid resilience presentation and data on the mailing list for further community review.
GAIA Chairs to coordinate with Jonathan Brewer regarding potential standardization of network planning documentation within the RG.

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