Community network

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Community network is a term used broadly to indicate the use of networking technologies by and for a local community. Free-nets and civic networks indicate roughly the same range of projects and services, whereas community technology centers (CTCs) and telecentres often indicate a facility to compensate for lack of access to information and communication technologies (ICTs).

1 Definition and diversity
2 Information and services
3 Operators and primary goals
- 3.1 Geographical coverage
- 3.2 Factors behind diversity
4 History
5 References
6 External links
7 External links
- 7.1 Wikibooks

Definition and diversity

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You can help by converting this section to prose, if appropriate. Editing help is available. (September 2007)

Although there is no absolute agreement on the definition of the term, it is generally agreed that a community network is a computer-based system that is intended to help support geographical communities by supporting, augmenting, and extending already existing social networks. Community networks often provide free web space, e-mail, and other services for free, without advertising. Community network organizations often engage in training and other services, and sometimes are involved in policy work as well. The Seattle Community Network [1] is a prominent example.

When one looks at the entries of community network directories or the papers and web sites whose titles and names include "community network" or "community networking," it is noticeable that a variety of practices exist. This diversity can be seen in:

Types of information and services offered
Operator and the primary goals of the community network
Area covered by the network

Information and services

Based on this ongoing use of the term, a community network could be any or some combination of the following:

A web site offering information on a place for locals. The information may include local events, news, weather forecasts, governmental offices, pictures of local architecture, landscapes, event scenes, and so on.
A web site offering services for locals. The service could be either the information mentioned above, or access to some online activities such as making reservations, posting personal advertisements, and so on. The site could be owned by a local government.
A communication network among non-profit organizations in a local area.
A non-profit organization offering affordable (or free) computer lessons, Internet access, and/or advanced training in computer use.
A local ISP having some discount for local non-profits and others.
A web site for potential tourists and those who might relocate to the area, offering a range of information and services.
A web site offering means of online communication, such as discussion forums, mailing lists, chat rooms, and e-mail.

It should also be noted that, while community networks increasingly involve web sites, they may be of secondary importance for the project (such as in case of a local ISP), or there might be no web site--in the past, some operated via FTP and other networking protocols than HTTP.

Operators and primary goals

As seen from the above list, community networking is practiced by many different groups with different goals.

The groups in charge of planning and operating the project may be:

Local government offices or chambers of commerce
Local non-profit organizations
Local or other for-profit organizations
Volunteer groups

The primary goals of community networks may include:

Closing of the digital divide and/or leading in the inter-local race of informatization
Offering easier access to already existing information and services for locals
Promotion of local economic development and employment
Promotion of the operators' own business
Strengthening of local identity and locals' attachment to the place
Revitalization, promotion, and/or maintenance of local communal ties

Some of these are not completely independent goals, nor contradictory, but interrelated and can reasonably pursued at the same time.

Geographical coverage

Most community networks are associated with a metropolitan area, or smaller place. The area identified with a community network could be a town, city, county, metropolitan area, state, or occasionally a region, including parts of several states.

Factors behind diversity

There are a number of factors contributing the diversity of practice under the term.

There is no legal, regulatory definition of the term, and that the practice has been grass-root.
The words 'community' and 'network' both have wide appeal to potential users, funders, volunteers, and other groups.
Community is rather a vague term, and different groups take different definitions.
Information and communication technologies may bring many different benefits for a local area, and different groups emphasize different aspects of them.

History

Among the earliest practices that are frequently mentioned are Big Sky Telegraph (Montana, USA), Cleveland Free-Net (Cleveland, USA) Public Electronic Network (PEN) in Santa Monica (California, USA), Digital Amsterdam in Amsterdam (The Netherlands) [2].

Bryggenet is a community network in Copenhagen, Denmark.

References

Schuler, D. (1996) New Community Networks: Wired for Change [3]. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

External links

Video about Free Culture, Free Software, Free Infrastructures!, Interviews with Kloschi, Jürgen Neumann (Freifunk Germany), Kurt Jansson (Wikimedia Germany), Rishab Aiyer Ghosh (United Nations University), Lawrence Lessig (Creative Commons), Allison, Benoit (Montréal Wireless Community)