A discussion on the technical alternatives to internet shutdowns

In 2019, many of us witnessed - and some of us experienced - internet shutdowns in different parts of India.

1. Does access to the internet become unavailable to every stakeholder in society during an internet shutdown?
2. How do journalists and civil society groups communicate during shutdowns to transmit critical information?
3. How do businesses, which are dependent on the internet, operate during shutdowns?
4. What is the impact of shutdowns, and what technical alternatives exist to mitigate the consequences of shutdowns?

Based on the above questions, we have curated a discussion to understand the technical alternatives to internet shutdowns, and how alternative communication networks can be leveraged for transmitting important communication and conducting business.

Who should attend:

1. Network and operations engineers
2. Journalists
3. Members of civil society groups who want to understand how to leverage alternative communication networks
4. InfoSec and security practitioners
5. Individuals/organizations who are working on Radio, mesh networks and wireless communication technologies.
6. Anyone who has an interest in the topic

Event details:
Date: Thursday, 16 January
Time: 5:45 PM to 8:30 PM followed by dinner and networking
Venue: Seminar hall 1 and 2, Kamaladevi Block, India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi

This event is free to attend. You can consider contributing towards meeting the expenses of the event by purchasing a contributor’s pass of Rs. 899. Alternatively, you can buy a contributor’s pass to nominate someone to attend the event or to simply donate to the event. Donor’s names will be made public, based on their consent.

Code of Conduct:
We are here as a community to deliberate on the topics of the forum. Hence,

1. Be nice to everyone.
2. Be empathetic.
3. Be questioning, as it furthers discussion.
4. Discuss ideas, not people and their personalities (as that would be ad hominem).

We strongly condemn any kind of harassment of any fellow participant. This includes:

1. Sustained disruption of talks and discussions.
2. Offensive remarks or jokes made about women, men, persons of non-binary genders and those with physical disabilities, or on the basis of sexuality, race, caste or religion.
3. Use of images that objectify the human body (unless absolutely relevant to the discussion).
4. Inappropriate physical contact and invasion of private space.
5. Deliberate intimidation, unwelcome gestures and stalking.

Attribution and event reporting guidelines:

1. Speakers reserve the right to be attributed or not for statements made in good faith and in the spirit of knowledge sharing. Please verify statements reported, with speakers, before attributing.
2. Media persons are requested to follow instructions of the speaker before attributing anything to a speaker, either online or offline.
3. Photographs of speakers, when they are not stage, can be taken only if the speaker consents.

If you experience harassment or violation of this Code of Conduct, you can report in confidence by calling +91-7676332020.

We thank individuals and companies who have supported the event by purchasing the Contributor Pass:

1. Miranj
2. Gora Mohanty
3. Rahul Bhatia
4. RedCarpetUp.com
5. Jasbir Singh Khehra

#Community Partners