We Are the Internet Society

Everyone should be able to connect to a trusted Internet. But billions can’t.

We’re changing that.

In landlocked Suusamyr, in the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan, traditional economic models don’t necessarily work. Seeing the Internet as a path to economic opportunity, the Internet Society’s Kyrgyz Chapter created a community network, partnering with government, local ISPs, and the community itself.

49% of the world lacks Internet access.

We work to close the digital divide by going to communities that lack Internet access and teaching them how to build and maintain their own community networks. These are “do it yourself” networks built by people for people.

How We're Helping Closing the Digital Divide

The community advocates gathered in Washington with a mission: set the facts straight on encryption and empower communities at risk. Working with the Internet Society, they walked away with resources to protect themselves and our society’s most vulnerable.

150,700 GB per second – global Internet traffic predicted by 2022

We help make it secure. Through our global advocacy for a trusted Internet, we help bridge the gap between policymakers and the technical community.

Our Work for a Stronger Internet

Making a difference.

In Kyrgyzstan: A University in a Backpack

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In Kyrgyzstan: A University in a Backpack

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Forging a Path to Economic Opportunity in Costa Rica

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Forging a Path to Economic Opportunity in Costa Rica

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A Rural Community in South Africa Becomes a Telecom Operator

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A Rural Community in South Africa Becomes a Telecom Operator

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New Mexico's Pueblo of Laguna Launches a Network

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New Mexico's Pueblo of Laguna Launches a Network

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In Kyrgyzstan: A University in a Backpack

Erjigit Imamov saw a problem. Schools in his native Kyrgyzstan had limited resources, including a shortage of textbooks and teachers. Thankfully, Imamov, working with the Internet Society’s Kyrgyzstan Chapter, had a solution: an Internet-powered library and university small enough to fit into a knapsack. With funding from the Internet Society’s Beyond the Net program, Bilim Bulagy – Kyrgyz for “Spring of Knowledge” – was launched in local communities.

Forging a Path to Economic Opportunity in Costa Rica

Jazmin Fallas-Kerr had a vision. In her hometown of Desamparados, Costa Rica, she saw that nearly half of families headed by women were in poverty. Thanks to the Internet, she was able to create an online marketplace so that women could sell their handiwork. The site now has more than 50 locals selling their crafts.

A Rural Community in South Africa Becomes a Telecom Operator

Mankosi is one of South Africa’s most economically disadvantaged communities, where its 3,500 residents live on less than $2 per day. Yet residents spend nearly a quarter of their income to connect and communicate. To address this, the community launched the Zenzeleni Network in 2012. Zenzeleni, which means “do it yourself” in the local language, isiXhosa, now provides affordable voice service – and they’re building a solar-powered WiFi network to provide Internet access.

New Mexico's Pueblo of Laguna Launches a Network

When the Pueblo of Laguna launched their own network, they saw immediate benefits. One community member was able to apply for an internship and started work on a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. One family used the Internet to do school work, pay bills, and do online research. And silversmiths were able to sell their work online. The Indigenous community, located in New Mexico, has seen firsthand that community networks can be a path to opportunity.

What will you do?

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