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July 17, 2007
Participatory Communications: FWD summer 2007 relaunch project
An important summer project this year involves giving
FWD represents yet another example of the Internet disrupting the status quo by inserting "participatory" in front of a word like communication or democracy, journalism, and culture. The communication options offered by telephone companies in 1995 started and ended with plain old telephone service (POTS). POTS remains the primary business of the telephone company in 2007, but a long and expanding list of Internet enabled communication options exist for anyone motivated enough to make them work. FWD provides a participatory platform in finding ways to make Internet communications a viable option.
The work of FWD puts it at odds with the telephone company, because telco profits depend on controlling the availability of communication. The desire of people to communicate that makes the telephone companies so profitable comes from the same human need preventing people from accepting limitations to their communication options. Communication serves to build human relationships not to mention provides an essential input to economic activity. People join FWD projects because the telephone company scarcity business model conflicts with the need for six billion people on Earth to communicate.
Existing FWD services will remain free, but implementing a membership model will allow us to fund new services and make FWD self-sustaining. My funding of FWD over the last 12 years departed from any investment logic long ago. The membership fees will not provide a return for the investment, by I hope they remove the limitation my resources have on FWD reaching its potential. Support and maintenance needs of existing FWD services people tell me want can be liberated from my interest in spending on new services. The membership idea represents an experiment in itself in testing whether people will contribute a nominal amount ($30/yr individuals, $300/year business) as the price for communication freedom.
I asked Daniel Berninger (dan@danielberninger.com, +1.202.250.3838) to lead the next phase in the life of FWD. Dan participated on the founding FWD technical team while still at Bell Labs (I was an IT manager on Wall Street) in 1995. Participatory Communications looks likely to keep the telco's on the defensive judging from the people that have already joined as paid members.
If you would like to learn more about FWD, please contact Daniel Berninger.
Tags: Vonage, Free World Dialup, Daniel Berninger, VoIP, Jeff Pulver
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Posted by jeff on July 17, 2007 11:05 AM | Permalink
Additional resources: Watch PrimeTime TV Shows | Watch the Jeff Pulver Show | Jeff's Qik Videos
Comments
I think this is a good idea and a good start toward becoming self-sufficient. However as this blog has shown, there are two types of people-
1. Those that will pay it because they like what FWD stands for, but otherwise don't expect to get much immediate benefit from it
2. Those that won't pay it because they don't expect to get much immediate benefit from it
I'm a big fan of FWD (even though I rarely use it for anything other than testing Asterisk servers), I support the ideal of free communication so I will probably end up subscribing. I can also say for sure that if I knew many people internationally, I would use it all the time. (In the USA with VoIP phone service, domestic LD is free but international is still $$)
I am guessing that FWD doesn't want to sell PSTN minutes / assignable DIDs because that puts them under many regulations involving wiretapping and e911 requirements, so I'll skip that.
However I still think there are a lot of places FWD could/should go.
I think Jeff / FWD should continue their political efforts (which I strongly support), and should consider (if they haven't already) expanding their lobbying to support open access rules for cellular networks. Lots of cell phones have SIP clients, but once it starts eating into revenue do you see any cell carrier thinking twice before banning it under the grounds of 'excessive use of bandwidth'? Perhaps a Google alliance on this front, which would also get FWD more press.
I think FWD should try to partner with SIP hardware manufacturers to make it easy for users to sign up for FWD and configure their device. IIRC Jeff said once that many HW manuf's want to be paid for this, however I think if we could persuade at least one of them that bundling FWD will sell more units (and then make it happen) we'd quickly get more takers. I'd also think there would be a lot of smaller manuf's that would like a way to differentiate their products or open additional sales channels.
Lastly (and possibly most important)- FWD should write a mobile SIP/jabber client for Pocket PC that doesn't suck. By doesn't suck I mean can use the earpiece speaker and bluetooth headsets on WM6 and integrates well into the OS. With such an app, FWD can enable users to do an end-run around carrier charges for minutes and text messages which would be hugely popular. Have it link to FWD by default, but members get an unlocked version that will connect to *. That would sell tons of subscriptions.
Posted by: Chris at July 23, 2007 03:45 PM
Sorry for english i use sign up for Voxalot yesterday for $40 very powerful maybe FWD join with Voxalot to beat telcos :)
Posted by: Ivan at July 20, 2007 08:30 AM
hie, i am sorry iam not so good in english. my only need is to call regular or cell phone in my contry and in the world. is it possible to do it if i pay the 30$ ?
Posted by: rephaella at July 20, 2007 12:46 AM
being in it i also understand the costs of hardware etc.. and although only basicly use the service for testing and setup of servers etc. its hard for me to justify, if you had local pops here and i would get a local(AU) DID then definatly yes.
if membership would get me a DID in the US, then yes too.
a bit more is needed, i think especialy after reading the other posts.
- DID for paid users, you should try to get POP's in capital citys, to reduce the call rate and make DID work better. or even get a FWD prefix with the world.. like your own contry code...
- a definition of the benifits of being a member. not just a mug. best thing would be something internal( cheaper for you ),something that no one else does. maybe....
- and for some users, $30 may be to much?
i had to much trouble trying to get my remote redneck family on to it!.
so i basicly only use it for testing and the setup of new * servers.
and if i had to pay the money i would have to use it more.
Posted by: Phil Pritchard at July 19, 2007 09:55 PM
i ve been making a lots a phone calls from mexico to the U.S. and i works most of the time to 1800 numbers wich i ve saved a lot af money in long distance calls thanks fwd see you soon
Posted by: eduardo mendez at July 19, 2007 09:52 PM
good news i hope to join again
Posted by: eduardo mendez at July 19, 2007 09:47 PM
The notion FWD competes with Voxalot, Skype or other VoIP service misses the fact that virtually all potential users remain captive customers of the traditional telco's (actually, 4 billion potential users have no access to communication at all.) The only meaningful competition that exists is between traditional telco's and the new communications ecosystem, not between VoIP players. FWD benefits Voxalot by educating potential users and vice-versa.
Posted by: Daniel Berninger at July 19, 2007 09:16 PM
I would also like to know what your unique value proposition is here.
I can get everything you mention and much more using Voxalot and for only $25 per year.
Please give us more details.
Bill.
Posted by: Bill Hunter at July 19, 2007 07:55 PM
I'm a fwd member. If $30 PER YEAR as stated by Jeff, will improve interconectivity, mobility , better call logs, etc. I would happily pay even if i'm not required to. I have recieved much benefit from FWD not to help it now that I could.
Posted by: Angel J at July 19, 2007 06:52 PM
decate ago i bought fdw products but never work and no technical support to contact.
this time i wish everything work find
Posted by: konan yao at July 19, 2007 05:46 PM
First of all, I am grateful for all of the benefits your project has brought to ~ 1,000,000 users, and the years of FREE infrastructure you have personally provided.
Now, what about implementing a pay-for-use system that has a basic setup for non-paid users?
Personally, I have not used my account enough to warrant a $30 expenditure. And at the same time, my boss at work probably won't spend the $300 per year unless he is forced to.
Posted by: Aaron Pierce at July 19, 2007 05:04 PM
what do paid members get again?
this will never work. mark my words.
Posted by: anonymous at July 19, 2007 11:25 AM
this is very good idea
thnakx
Posted by: alm knan ahmed at July 19, 2007 10:09 AM
The $30/year individual membership goes to covering the costs of all services (think public television or shareware.) The main services being the registration of SIP hardware devices, pulver.Communicator software, and the member directory. There are no billing systems associated with any current or planned services.
The FCC's Pulver Order finding FWD exempt from telecom regulations applies only to free services.
Paid members will determine priorities and shape FWD. For example, paid members will weigh whether FWD should focus on expanding services or expanding support. We will also assemble tools that allow the paid member community to communicate directly with each other (aka social networking.)
FWD offers a self help platform for expanding communication options. The more people contribute to the platform the more FWD can accomplish.
Posted by: Daniel Berninger at July 19, 2007 06:50 AM
I have to agree with Tom Lynn. We need more details; need to see the value proposition. Certainly I am interested, but right now we have a price, Daniel Berninger's name, and a phone number.
Tell us more!
Posted by: quux at July 18, 2007 10:17 PM
If you read carefully, you will see the cost is $30 per YEAR, not per month.
However, the details are all very squishy. What do I get for my $30 besides a coffee mug? Give me a link to a document that details the differences between free membership and paid membership, please.
Posted by: Tom Lynn at July 18, 2007 09:18 PM
A proper Mac OS X software client and DID support for the hardware adapters would be very nice.
Posted by: Jari Lammi at July 18, 2007 07:44 PM
I have had an Asterisk PABX connected to FWD for the last year, and it has been available 99% of the time. I don't make many calls from down under into the US, but the ability to place calls to 1800 numbers is invaluable for support.
$30.00 a month, I am not sure I can justify that based on usage, but I will see, as I want to support such efforts as yours.
Posted by: David at July 18, 2007 07:43 PM
Thank you for your email.
I have several questions.
1) Is FWD yet freestanding, or do I still need to have my computer on and functioning? My last foray into FWD was a very frustrating experience: I bought three different handsets, and in the end, could neither get FWD going reasonaby, nor get any reasonably effective technical help in those efforts.
2) Does FWD yet interface (easily) with the world's hardwired telephone system? I have had a vonage line for around five or six years and a local northern VoIP line for a year, but . . . .
Many thanks,
-Terry
Dr. T. Rowe
705 847-4747
Posted by: Dr. T. Rowe at July 18, 2007 05:53 PM
mi piacerebbe utilizzare questo sistema come telefono
gradirei solo avere qualche informazione in italian language
grazie marco
Sono a vostra disposizione per qualiasi test
Posted by: Marco Bagnasacco at July 18, 2007 05:30 PM
Enough with the Fucking spam!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: John Doe at July 18, 2007 05:12 PM
Dear Sirs,
Good work, count on me to test !!
Posted by: Dejan Zajic at July 18, 2007 04:18 PM
I also used FWD on its early stage. I'm a UNIX & Linux user, so please do your best not to forget us, non-Windows/MacOS X users.
So... count me in :o)
Posted by: Martin Deutsch at July 18, 2007 04:12 PM
How does a project like FWD and Skype get the funding to build an infrastructure for so many VoIP to PSTN gateways?
Posted by: Ed Reel at July 18, 2007 03:18 PM
I used the early version of FWD, and i'm glad to see that is alive and kicking!
Good work, count on me to test, i'll spread the voice to my friends
Posted by: Dario Espina at July 18, 2007 03:07 PM
I would like to see FDW numbers be able to be DIDed like Skype, ie the DID gives you a real PSTN number and it connects to you FWD communicator.
Posted by: Chris Steele at July 18, 2007 02:28 PM
P. from Weston has a point. I think FWD should look at pursuing some mobility projects. For example, it seems like the growing availability of Wi-Fi and the declining price of Wi-Fi VoIP SIP handsets will shortly cross the tipping point for making the handsets a useful alternative to traditional cellular.
Posted by: Daniel Berninger at July 17, 2007 05:47 PM
Very interesting project -- I am interested in how wireless and mesh network technologies can also help these efforts for increased network access.
Posted by: P. from Weston MA at July 17, 2007 05:12 PM