Understanding negotiation in airtime sharing in low-income microenterprises
Venue
CHI (2012), pp. 791-800
Publication Year
2012
Authors
Nithya Sambasivan, Edward Cutrell
BibTeX
Abstract
Shared access to airtime is a prominent mode of connectivity access in the
developing world. We seek to understand airtime sharing among low-income
microenterprises in India (small, low-capital businesses, such as flower sellers
and milkmen), that constitute 90% of the total enterprises in India. We introduce
social negotiation as the foundation of airtime sharing. We highlight negotiation
mechanisms in the microenterprise, showing how shared resources are used towards
personal interests amidst tensions and value conflicts, by adapting, modifying,
subverting, and repurposing airtime. We then explore the design space of airtime
and bandwidth sharing in low-income communities, including designing for
negotiation and improving readability of airtime.
