Community Networks and Social Change

This book is the first comprehensive exploration of community telecom networks, examining their theory, practice, and the organizational, technological, and legal challenges they face. Community connectivity empowers local communities to define their own connectivity objectives and take active roles in organizing, managing, and operating their networks. Like community radio that gives voice to marginalized populations, community networks address critical issues of accessibility, affordability, and adaptability, enabling communities to appropriate technologies to their specific needs while building autonomy and contributing to the information commons.The volume offers theoretical frameworks and practical insights through three compelling case studies from Mexico (Rhizomatica), India (Janastu), and Indonesia (Common Room). It explores essential building blocks for successful community connectivity projects like technology, legal frameworks, capacity building, and funding while highlighting the enabling roles of organizations like the Asia Pacific Network Information Centre and the Internet Society. The book critically examines the digital divide, contests the myth of digital abundance, and demonstrates how communities worldwide are creating independent connectivity solutions where commercial providers have failed to invest.Essential for students and researchers in communication studies, media studies, communication for development, and ICT4D, this book serves as both a core text for undergraduate and postgraduate courses and a research monograph for academics exploring media alternatives, the information commons, and community-driven solutions to digital exclusion.