<b style><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">SAVE THE DATE!</span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">October 4-7, 2012: International Summit for Community Wireless Networks</span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Barcelona, Spain</span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">CALL FOR PROPOSALS WILL OPEN APRIL 1.</span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">It is, as ever, my great honor to announce that the annual International Summit for Community Wireless Networks will take place in Barcelona, Spain from October 4-7, 2012.</span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The International Summit for Community Wireless Networks (</span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">IS4CWN</span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">) convenes technology experts, policy analysts, university researchers, and on-the-ground specialists who deploy state-of-the-art community broadband projects. We will come to Barcelona in October to discuss technology, policy and organizing issues as well as the practical solutions to challenges facing community broadband. Participatory meetings and workshops at IS4CWN help the leaders of community broadband initiatives build and execute a strategic plan. Participants will bring their skills and stories and leave ready to expand the deployment of networks and lobby governments to create policies that expand broadband access, open more unlicensed spectrum, and break the market power that stifles economic growth and social opportunity through technology.</span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The first IS4CWN in 2004 launched what is now called the community broadband movement. Conversations and collaborations at the</span><a href="http://wirelesssummit.org/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:15px;white-space:pre-wrap;text-decoration:none;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal"> </span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">2010 Summit</span></a><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> in Vienna, Austria gave rise to two new multi-million dollar initiatives, the</span><a href="http://oti.newamerica.net/commotion_wireless_0" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:15px;white-space:pre-wrap;text-decoration:none;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal"> </span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Commotion Wireless Project</span></a><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> (also known as the  </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/world/12internet.html" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Internet-in-a-Suitcase</span></a><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">”) and</span><a href="http://confine-project.eu/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:15px;white-space:pre-wrap;text-decoration:none;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal"> </span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">CONFINE</span></a><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">. Both partnerships focus on the development of next-generation community networking technologies. Commotion and CONFINE have received major grants from the United States and the European Union, respectively, to convene partners from around the globe. With its strong focus on social justice and human rights, IS4CWN 2012 will bring together participants not just from these projects in the US and the EU but panelists from the developing world who are interested in building and expanding community wireless networks in their own countries.</span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">IS4CWN 2012 will take place at</span><a href="http://www.upc.edu/eng/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:15px;white-space:pre-wrap;text-decoration:none;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal"> </span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya</span></a><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> (UPC) in Barcelona, a university with an exceptionally high percentage of international students. UPC houses  numerous projects funded under the European Union's</span><a href="http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/home_en.html" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:15px;white-space:pre-wrap;text-decoration:none;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal"> </span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Seventh Framework Program</span></a><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> and  Barcelona is also home to</span><a href="http://guifi.net/" target="_blank" style="color:rgb(17,85,204)"><span style="vertical-align:baseline;font-size:15px;white-space:pre-wrap;text-decoration:none;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal"> </span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">guifi.net</span></a><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">, one of the largest community networks in the world, encompassing over 23,000 individual nodes.</span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In 2012, we can catalyze the explosion of community networking organizations and create shared technology, policy, and public education goals. The Summit distinguishes itself from other technical and academic conferences through the cross-discipline and global diversity of its participants. IS4CWN is a venue for participants to develop a shared vision and strategic approach to meeting new technology infrastructure needs and formulating policy reforms and intervention strategies in their own countries that support community wireless networks. Participants engage in an ongoing dialogue that encourages a strategic approach to community wireless network development and spectrum policy reform.</span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Through years of development, IS4CWN is the foremost gathering of leaders in the community networking field and promises to shape the future of this movement. Panelists do not simply present their own work and opinions: they also facilitate a process that records lessons learned and produces a comprehensive list of action items for the coming months and years. IS4CWN is a significant opportunity for thinkers, developers, and stakeholders to develop and improve collaborations for the success of community wireless networks.</span><br>

<span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"></span><br><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;font-style:italic;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Nos vemos en Octubre</span><span style="font-size:15px;font-family:Arial;font-weight:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> - We look forward to seeing you in October!</span></b>