Community-centred connectivity
Welcome to the 60th monthly round-up of developments impacting your local access networks and community-based initiatives. In this edition, we celebrate these networks’ multiple achievements, discuss the challenges they face, and moot the kind of support they need.
A forum organised by the Communications Regulators' Association of Southern Africa brought together its member states to discuss the importance of community networks in providing universal services, and the policy and regulation measures needed to support them.
Community networks in Kenya are happy to lead the way with Africa's first-ever association of community networks. The association unites community networks in Kenya, amplifies their voices, and prioritises their needs in policy dialogues, fostering a favourable environment for their development.
In this issue, we are inspired by women who are cultivating community networks in their regions. Welcome to the 59th monthly round-up of developments impacting your local access networks and community-based initiatives.
This piece recounts the joint discussions and learning shared among three community networks in the state of São Paulo in Brazil, revolving around the installation and use of the Pirania captive portal, an open source application that works as an internet access control tool.
This year's RightsCon will be held from 5-8 June in Costa Rica and online, where APC will focus on the themes of gender and sexuality, climate and environmental justice and gender-responsive cybersecurity. Here is our resource kit of knowledge, research and recommended readings to help us all prepare to engage with each other at this event.
We are happy to announce the launch of the Routing for Communities podcast on 1 June. With 12 episodes, this podcast will be a journey to listen to the life stories of those connecting themselves while defending the fundamental rights and well-being of their communities.
Many governments have established funds dedicated to expanding connectivity to underserved communities, so-called Universal Service Funds (USFs) or Universal Service and Access Funds (USAFs). The purpose of the paper is to examine advocacy efforts led by civil society in selected countries that have led to systemic changes in local policies and regulations, with a specific focus on the us...
Drawing on the lessons and experiences from the Mamaila Community Network, traditional leaders, local entrepreneurs, community members and academics discussed the role of community networks as complementary solutions to commercial internet service providers in bridging the digital divide in underserved areas such as Sekgosese (South Africa).
Capacity building is critical to the sustainability of a community network for several reasons. Discover some of them in this piece written by Josephine Miliza for APC member organisation KICTANet.
Association for Progressive Communications (APC) 2022
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