Free, open and reliable network infrastructure for anyone, anytime.

We aim to establish the principles of open network infrastructure on the basis of The Open Definition in relation to network access.

It can be summed up in the following statement:

Free, open and reliable network infrastructure for anyone, anytime.

Strategy

The Open Network Infrastructure Association commits to run an open and free LoRaWAN network in Switzerland, suitable to build professional applications, as well as tinkering and prototyping.

Nurturing an open ecosystem in which both makers and professionals alike can build and grow is beneficial for all parties: it keeps barrier of entry down to the ground, increases long-term sustainability and ensures technological push to keep the network up-to-date.

Achieving our vision

The fundamental mechanics to achieve these goals have parallels with the history of Open Source Software (OSS) –and in particular, core components such as the Linux kernel –and how it evolved to become a critical piece of the world’s computing infrastructure at large.

The perception of sustainability of OSS has changed in the last two decades from being highly questioned to becoming the default choice for many, to the point that a majority of the world runs now on top of OSS. This change was driven by technology and policy to build trust that is non-questionable. Trust that derives from properties of the system, and not from good will of individuals: decentralization, cryptography, redundancy and open standards.

The exact same properties need to be present in our network to ensure its long-term success:

• Redundancy of gateways to ensure individual failure or shutdown does not affect the system.
• Cryptography of data to guarantee data cannot be leaked or inspected even in the event of a malicious attack.
• Decentralization of backend infrastructure to ensure continuous, uninterrupted operation.
• OSS and Open Standards to empower everyone to take ownership of the technology if ever needed.

For practical reasons, the current focus is squarely placed on LoRaWAN, but the association does not limit itself to it, other technologies can be explored and brought into focus in the future.