Submitted by quota_atypique on
Internet, april 10th, 2012
The FDN Federation is starting a membership drive, aiming to get at least 1000 members over all the organizations.
The FDN Federation gathers --around FDN, the oldest one-- fifteen DIY Internet service providers, out of the usual commercial template, with a non-profit goal. These organizations are volunteer-based and solidarity-driven. The mode of operation of these organizations, reminiscent of free software, is based on the historical model of what the Internet is made of: a network built by everyone's participation.
With this campaign, the FDN Federation hilights its members' activism for Net neutrality, guaranteeing freedom of speech, and for the defense of the freedoms on the Internet. This action, sometimes technical when it relates to regulation or legislation, is also political and educational when it aims to explain to the many how the Internet, network of networks, is actually working.
The non-profit Internet Service Providers are also an easy, factual proof that some of the problems seen as insuperable can be resolved when you get out of the capitalist financial system : it's the case for the wifi broadband coverage that are not served by ADSL (like Sames Wireless in Pyrénées Atlantiques or Tetaneutral near Toulouse). It's also the possibility for an ISP to be profitable and surviving without having millions of suscribers. « Our action begins to be visible, but a lot of people feel like they have to suscribe to help us, when they only need to become members » explains Guillaume "maethor" Subiron, secretary of Aquilenet [1], ISP based in Bordeaux.
"We defend an other point of view about Internet. Our action shows that with will, it is possible to propose another thing that what prepending ISP do, an Internet that belongs to everyone" adds Cyprien "Fulax" Nicolas, NDN (Riviera ISP) member.
"The Internet diversity is met within each organisations composing the federation. We aim to protect this diversity, theatened today, and more than ever essential to the Internet maintain as a free communication network, for everyone" says Julien "Taziden" Rabier, Federation's deputy chairman and Ilico [3] (Corrèze-based ISP) chairman.
"We need the Internet to be free; the Internet needs us to be numerous" closes Benjamin Bayart, Federation Chairman [4].