Pooling Supply and Demand: Collaboration for Community Broadcasts

Abstract

Geographical communities are now poised to take advantage of newly-available technology that enables them to broadcast events of specialized local interest using streaming video. The relatively low cost is key, but nevertheless activating a server gives rise to a fixed cost, a capacity and a duration, and these may not properly match the community’s needs, which themselves can fluctuate widely. We investigate a “pooling” approach which handles excess demand by utilizing the resources of a neighbouring community, in return for payment or reciprocal service. We show how to use data to characterize needs and introduce a formal model. Using the price structure of currently available commercial solutions, we explore practical ways in which basic demand can be met, the sharing of supply and demand could be organized, and how participating communities could allocate their costs.