Community Networks provide an alternative and sustainable solution to address the connectivity gaps that exist in urban, remote, and rural areas around the world. In Africa, where these gaps are more evident, a recent survey was able to identify 37 Community Networks initiatives in 12 African countries, 25 of which are considered active. Many more Community Networks have come up after the report, in part, thanks to the training and the experience that have been shared in the previous Summits held in Kenya and South Africa. Among them is the Kondoa Community Network, in Tanzania, which was featured in this year’s Summit.
Listen to the story about Kondoa Community Network, featured on Deutsche Welle. This pilot project has been bringing the web to rural Tanzania.
Read the wrap up blog post published on Tanzania Community Networks Alliance (tzCNA) website, reported by Bonface Witaba (ICANN Fellow) and Matogoro Jabhera (Mozilla Fellow, 2019).
The 4th Summit on Community Networks (CNs) in Africa took place in Dodoma, Tanzania from 28 October – 2 November 2019. The Summit promoted the creation and growth of community networks, increase collaboration between community network operators in the region, and provided an opportunity for them to engage with other stakeholders.
The main activities included:
- Training Workshop: 28 – 29 October 2019
- Community Network Summit Plenary: 30 – 31 October 2019
- Site Visit to Kondoa Community Network: 1 – 2 November 2019
The event targeted Community Networks operators, policy makers, researchers, evangelists, sponsors, and related networks such as community radio.
The 4th Summit was organized by the Internet Society in partnership with APC and hosted by the University of Dodoma.
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© Internet Society / Nyani Quarmyne / Panos Pictures
