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.

Help Connect the Unconnected

With 2.6 billion people lacking access to the Internet, we need dedicated people working together to close the digital divide.

We’ve joined Partner2Connect to amplify our impact, pledging to train 10,000 people and to sustain and build 100 networks by 2025. Together, we can get even closer to achieving universal connectivity and digital transformation.

a man holding hands up while installing an antenna against sun

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 

kids looking at computer screen smiling
Get Funding

Apply for a grant to help you build a community network.

five men with face masks sitting on the wall
Learn about Successful Community Networks

See success stories and how they happened from start to finish.

four men sitting on the ground and talking
Attend a Community Network Event

Attend a current or a past event to learn from experts in the field.

a man and a woman looking at the phone
Develop Your Skills

Learn everything you need to build, maintain, and support community networks.

Image copyrights:
© Nyani Quarmyne, © Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), © J.J. McQueen, © Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF), © Elyse Butler, © Internet Society / Christian O’Flaherty