Community Network

A community network is a locally owned and operated telecommunications infrastructure that provides internet access through cooperative or municipal governance rather than commercial provision. Unlike commercial ISPs, community networks treat connectivity as a commons: the network is owned by its users, governed by participatory decision-making, and operated for local benefit rather than profit extraction. They are a practical response to digital inclusion failures, shifting control from platform capitalism to the communities that depend on connectivity. \n\nSee also: Municipal Broadband