This paper’s aim is for the Local Networks initiative (LocNet) team to internally reflect on and better articulate the work we do around local innovation for community networks. Specifically, we look at these activities to inform our future approaches, particularly around local services and technologies for community-centred connectivity initiatives. This paper addresses a recommendation from the 2022 LocNet external evaluation report stating that a further exploration of current and desired usage of local services and technologies would be important for the next LocNet phase.
Global definitions of connectivity fall short when expressing community-centred perspectives, because they are guided by top-down mechanisms. The reality is that grassroots communities have a strong understanding of what is meaningful or of high value to them. Those with a community-oriented approach are centring a local definition of “meaning” as their starting point. Our role in LocNet is to find ways to strengthen local ties, well-being and digital activities attached to on-the- ground definitions of meaning and value.
Over the last five years, the LocNet initiative has been communicated as a “connecting the unconnected” concept, emphasising a community-driven approach to universal connectivity projects. We want to clearly state that while this fundamental aspect of connectivity is important, in order to achieve community-centred connectivity, it needs to go hand in hand with multiple locally involved processes at the community level – be they technical, organisational and/or social aspects. Between 2018 and 2023, the LocNet team worked on community- level projects that, at times, went over and beyond connectivity to specifically address the identified needs of a community. This more holistic effort contributed towards us realising that universal connectivity is not our only target. A collective stocktaking of what is meaningful for local people, and of their demands for a better quality of life, can be done. Then, corresponding action or activities can be translated into local services and technologies.
In this next phase (2024 onward), we would like to better articulate these complementary processes: not just what it means to work on connectivity, but also to describe the participatory approaches and activities that are informed by the community. The idea is that by addressing community demand or even local “analogue” needs through local services and technologies, greater use and application of community-centred connectivity can be catalysed.
In order to make this argument, in this paper we try to unpack specific terms and approaches. Firstly, this document lays out what “meaningful access” and “value-added services” mean relative to existing global definitions. Our departure point is to state that democratic principles and community participation are fundamental values in the LocNet approach. These aspects differentiate LocNet’s approach from other global approaches. We recommend the use of the terms “meaningful community-centred connectivity” as well as “local services and technologies” for the purposes of the LocNet initiative. Secondly, we share what we have learned in the last five years from implementing the LocNet initiative’s local services and technologies work. We reflect on the lessons of how community demand or understanding a community’s needs can lead to implementing appropriate local services and technologies. We share not only the local services LocNet identified as being particularly useful, but also how these services go beyond connectivity, and how they are grounded and “re-localised” – “re- localise” refers to a re-imagining of the community notion of local services and technologies. Thirdly, a discussion section reflects on what considerations should be taken when internet connectivity advances within a community. Specifically, communities can reach a state of maturity around local services and technologies, and there will be decisions around next steps such as what to do with local content or the possible demands of a higher quality of internet connectivity. We finally close the paper with recommendations and next steps when considering local services and technologies for the next phase of the LocNet initiative.