The netCommmons Team

The netCommons project

netCommons is a Horizon2020 research project, which follows a novel transdisciplinary methodology on treating network infrastructure as commons, for resiliency, sustainability, self-determination, and social integration. Project partners have expertise in engineering, computer science, economics, law, political science, urban, media, and social studies; and close links with successful Community Networks like guifi.net, ninux.org, and sarantaporo.gr.

Recent blog entries

Commonswashing by information technologies and online platforms, the semantic appropriation of the commons

Mélanie Dulong de Rosnay gave a presentation in July 2019 at the Conference of the International Association on the Study of the Commons (IASC), Lima, Peru of the important concept of 'commons washing' (similar to green washing): claiming openness and the ethics of sharing for-profit endeavors, the appropriation of the concept and the values of the common in the dominant discourse by private actors.

Blockchain and Community Networks: friends or foes?

There is a lot of discussion and numerous initiatives that aim to explore blockchain technology in the context of Internet access sharing and more general Community Networking.

Universal deployment model

There is interest in the deployment of cable and other networking infrastructure for private use in public land, but the lack of clear guidelines to regulate deployment in public land can block authorization decisions, which can be controversial due to the consequences of the private ownership and use of a private infrastructure in public space.

...see all the blog entries

Recent and future events

The new EU telecommunications code in Greece and its effect on community networks

After a 2-day visit of the Sarantaporo.gr CN, this public event in Athens, July 9, brings together international experts with local stakeholders to build a better understanding of the key role of small providers and community networks, and their needs, and how the new EU telecommunications code might affect them. We will explore the situation in Greece as an EU member state and how Community Networks like Sarantaporo.gr CN can be supported and replicated as a model.

Sarantaporo conference: building the community in Community Networks

On July 7-9th researchers, practitioners, and key actors in the development of Community Networks around the world will visit one of the success stories of this movement in Greece, the Sarantaporo.gr Community Network. The event is co-organized by the netCommons project and the Sarantaporo.gr Non-Profit Organization.

Towards an Alternative Internet in the Age of Cambridge Analytica and Fake News 

As part of the netCommons project, UoW organized a one-day policy workshop in London in May 15, 2018 that brought together a range of stakeholders for discussing what kind of Internet is desirable; whether the digital commons pose viable models for the organisation of the Internet’s infrastructure, software, platforms and content; and what policies and measures are needed for strengthening the commons as alternatives to Internet monopolies, surveillance, privacy violations, and targeted ads.

...see all the event entries

Recent news

Release of netCommons' Hands-On Guide on Community Networks

netCommons is proud to announce the release of "Telecommunications Reclaimed: A Hands-On Guide to Networking Communities"!

netCommons book ready for publication

The netCommons book produced during the booksprint at Vic, Catalonia (the birthplace of guifi.net) is ready to be copy-edited and published by APC with the support of ISOC.

It will include beautiful illustrations by Sarah Viguer, made also during the booksprint.

We are accepting comments and corrections until March 24th, at info@netcommons.eu, based on the version published as netCommons deliverable D4.5:

netCommons at IGF2018

Community Networks had a significant presence in IGF 2018, one of the most important global events on Internet Governance and beyond. And netCommons contributed significantly in three of the most important sessions around this topic.

... see all the past news