The Mobile Digital Commons Network connects researchers, the arts and industry focussed on mobile, wireless, and digital technologies in Canada. The network was launched by the Banff New Media Institute and Concordia University and has strong ties with a number of prominent Canadian institutes and universities (McGill, Ontario College of Art and Design, Hexagram etc). One of the networks principal aims is to aid in the development of a digital commons. This includes the development of a pervasive open wireless network in Banff and in Montreal and the exploration of the potential such a network would provide for participatory cultures, media dissemination. This wireless project is being developed with the Ile Sans Fil organization – there was once a grass roots project like this in Sydney well before wireless networks were even remotely common and without the support of such motivated research institutes – from the Ils San Fil website; ‘We believe that technology can be used to bring people together and foster a sense of community. In pursuit of that goal, Ile Sans Fil uses it’s free public access points to promote interaction between users, show new media art, and provide geographically- and community-relevant information.’
The MDCN has implemented a series of projects aimed at exploring the potential of such netwroks. They are all well documented at the link above (the MDCN web site) and well worth exploring. I’ll write more on the individual projects when current demands have been met.
The other thing to note at the MDCN is a comprehensive list of resources gathered by MDCN associated researches with regard to related issues, research programmes, and projects world wide. A very useful collection/nest of resources listed under the EMU project – which is the research focussed arm of the Mobile Digital Commons Network .