Connecting the Unconnected
Community networks help bridge the connectivity gap.
We are at our very best when we can connect. To schools, to jobs, to opportunity, and to each other. The Internet makes this possible.
But not everyone is online. Some places, whether it’s a remote village or a large city, need a new plan when it comes to connecting. We need solutions where the people who use the Internet are also empowered to build it. Community networks can help. These happen when people come together to build and maintain their own Internet connections. Internet by the people, for the people.
All over the world people are coming together to build and maintain their own Internet connections by setting up municipal and community networks, cooperatives, and other complementary access solutions. They are connecting the unconnected.
Growing the Internet
We’re helping close the global digital divide by:
- Supporting initiatives to deploy Internet infrastructure to connect those who need it most
- Reaching areas where traditional providers don’t operate
- Supporting the development of local technical skills
Get Involved
Latest News
Dr. Kanchana Kanchanasut: On Connecting with Communities
Internet by the People, for the People – a View from the Digital Empowerment Foundation
Risks and Rewards of the U.S. Broadband Funding Boom
Lambada Community of Tamil Nadu Now Connected to the Internet
The Common Room: How an Artist Is Connecting Rural Indonesia One Village at a Time
Resources
Image copyrights:
© Nyani Quarmyne, © Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), © J.J. McQueen, © Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), © Elyse Butler, © Internet Society / Christian O’Flaherty