Welcome to the 29th monthly round-up of developments impacting your local access networks.
We have created a new platform for community networks to share our experiences and grow together. Please join us at: https://communitynetworks.group/
APC shares highlights of its work to promote affordable and sustainable connectivity between 2016 and 2019. Read more.
Events and conferences
-
This webinar taking place on 14-16 October invites participants to discuss a shift in the way we think about technology, with an emphasis on being together and sustaining life as the primary goals. Read more.
-
The African Community Networks Summit will happen virtually this year: five sessions, five months. Read more.
-
The Training Programme for Technical Promoters in Indigenous Communities in Telecommunications and Radio Broadcasting is a virtual programme coordinated by REDES in Mexico and the ITU. The deadline for registration is 4 October. Read more.
-
On 8 October, the New York State Library Digital Equity Webinar Series will host Greta Byrum with speakers from The Point CDC and the Bronx Community Relief Effort, the Kingston Equitable Internet Initiative, the Buffalo Digital Divide Initiative, and New York's NYSERNet broadband consortium. Read more.
Resources from past events
-
Community Networks Adapt to New Realities Under COVID: A DWeb Meetup Recap. Read more.
-
The fifth session of the African Internet Resilience webinar series took place on 30 July. The focus of the session was to foster a deeper understanding of complementary networks and address the need for internet services in rural and underserved areas across the continent. Read more.
Community networks in news and blogs
-
A conversation about community networks in the rural context, where rural organisations from Cordoba, Argentina, young community networks, and members of AlterMundi talk about their shared path together. Read more.
-
Digital Empowerment Foundation shares their experience in capacity building in rural wireless networks. Read more.
-
This is the story of Jxa'h Wejxia Casil, a new community network in Colombia supported by Colnodo. Read more.
-
APC shares the outcomes of working together with Zenzeleni on a pilot project to strengthen community networks in South Africa. Read more.
-
IBEBrasil shares a brief overview of their expertise and recommendations around community networks in Brazil.. Read more.
-
The Redecentralize Digest is a newsletter about decentralised technologies. This edition features a community networks video where various local access networks introduce themselves and their work. Read more.
-
Electronic Information for Libraries is accepting applications the Public Library Innovation Award, for public library services that improve lives, with a prize of USD 1,500. Read more.
-
Colnodo shares their experience in building community networks with LibreRouters. Read more.
-
The UN verification mission in Colombia has been working with Colnodo and published an article about it. Read more.
News on policy and regulation
-
The International Institute of Communications hosted a session on regulation in times of COVID-19 and lessons for the future. Read more.
-
The Argentinian case of AlterMundi.net has been included as a case study in the A4AI Good Practices database. Read more.
-
Based on recent changes in the telecommunications industry, this paper analyses solutions for the expansion of the telecommunication operator ecosystem through greater inclusion of small, local operators. Read more.
-
A provisional analysis of the impact of telecommunications policy and regulatory frameworks in Africa and COVID-19: A community networks perspective. Read more.
-
Colnodo presented their comments on the Colombian regulator's public policy proposal on spectrum for 2020-2024. Read more.
Research
-
The Academy of Science of South Africa recently held an IID Webinar on Building Profitable and Sustainable Community Owned Connectivity Networks. Read more.
-
Colombia case study: Colnodo's work piloting licensed spectrum in Buenos Aires, Cauca, through NuestraRed's Wi-Fi work. Read more.
Tools and toolkits
-
This discussion thread highlights an interesting way of using Kodi Media Player (XBMC) as a pseudo TV, with channel grid and all. This can be leveraged by a community that wants to see their own videos in a TV-like experience. Read more.
Funding opportunities
-
Electronic Information for Libraries is accepting applications the Public Library Innovation Award, for public library services that improve lives, with a prize of USD 1,500. Read more.
-
Cisco Youth Leadership Award for Tech Innovation. Read more.
Previous editions
-
Previous editions of this newsletter are available here.
This newsletter is part of the Local Networks (LocNet) initiative, an initiative led by APC in partnership with Rhizomatica that aims to directly support the work of community networks and to contribute to an enabling ecosystem for the emergence and growth of community networks and other community-based connectivity activities in developing countries. You can read more about the initiative here, here and here.
Invite others to subscribe to this monthly newsletter here!
One more thing! If you have comments about the newsletter or information relevant to the topic that you would like us to include in the next edition, please share it with us at localaccess.newsletter@apc.org.