Our global community works locally to advance our mission. We’ve identified four key themes for the community to focus on in 2026, and gathered a set of resources to help anyone who wants to mobilize to support our collective vision of an open, globally connected, secure, and trustworthy Internet for everyone.

Use these resources to develop online safety training materials for your local community, learn how to build and maintain a community network, understand the technology that underpins the Internet, read policy briefings so you can dive into policy debates and participate in multistakeholder model processes, and more.

• Connectivity
• Safer Internet
• Internet Governance
• Open Internet

Connectivity

Millions of people still lack meaningful, affordable, and reliable access. We advocate for policies that help grow the Internet and promote community-centered connectivity to achieve a more inclusive global Internet.

Mobilize to:

• Champion enabling and supportive policy that brings community centered connectivity to vulnerable populations
• Promote sustainable, community-led solutions to connectivity
• Promote the Open Fibre Data Standard (OFDS)
• Promote sustainable peering infrastructure

Community-centered Connectivity

• What Is Community-Centered Connectivity and Why Should We Care?
• Policy Brief: Community‑Centered Connectivity
• Policy Brief: Spectrum Policy
• Community Network Do-It-Yourself Toolkit
• Advancing Community Connectivity: Policy Strategies

Sustainable Peering Infrastructure

• All About Peering: What It Is, How It’s Done, and Why We Need It
• Policy Brief: Interconnection and Regulated Traffic Obligations
• Policy Brief: Internet Exchange Points (IXPs)
• The 50/50 Vision for Internet Traffic

Open Fibre Data Standard (OFDS)

• The Open Fibre Data Standard
• OFDS Website

Online Courses and Fellowships

• Fundamentals of Designing and Deploying Computer Networks (DDCN)
• Community Network Readiness Assessment
• Building Wireless Community Networks
• Peering Fellowship
• Pulse Research Fellowship and Mentorship

Funding Programs

• Beyond the Net Grant Program
• Community-Centered Connectivity Grant Program
• Research Grant Program
• Sustainable Peering Infrastructure Grant Program

Additional Resources

• Community Network Readiness Assessment Handbook
• Internet Society Pulse IXP Tracker
• Peering Roadshows

Safer Internet

Scams, surveillance, data breaches, disinformation, and other online harms continue to grow. We need stronger protections, better tools, and more practical support to stay safe online.

Mobilize to:

• Advocate for an Internet experience that is safe, secure, and protective.
• Defend strong encryption as a core safeguard for privacy, security, and trust. 

Our priorities:

• Online Trust and Safety
• Strong Encryption
• Age Verification Policy
• VPN Restrictions

Age Verification

• Policy Brief: Age Restrictions and Online Safety
• Online Age Restrictions Need Strong Rules and Independent Oversight

Online Trust and Safety

• Online Trust and Safety Overview
• Online Trust and Safety Course Track

Encryption

• Policy Brief: Encryption
• A Parents' Guide to Encryption
• Global Encryption Day 2025 Toolkit
• Encryption Kept Me Safe
• Encryption Brief
• Encryption Overview

Funding Programs

• Beyond the Net Grant Program
• Common Good Cyber Fund (CGCF)
• Research Grant Program
• Encryption Day Funding

Additional Resources

• Safer Internet Initiative
• Advocacy Resources
• Policy Brief: Perspectives on Internet Content Blocking

Internet Governance

The multistakeholder model of Internet governance is open, inclusive, and consensus driven. Around the world, policy is being proposed that may jeopardize this model, putting the open, collaborative and trustworthy nature of the Internet at risk.

Mobilize to:

• Protect the multistakeholder model
• Track threats to the open Internet and governance processes

General Resources

• Internet Governance Overview
• Internet Governance Online Course
• Why the Multistakeholder Approach Works

Policy Briefs

• Internet Governance
• Open Internet Standards
• Spectrum Policy

Funding Programs

• Internet Governance Forum Events Funding
• Beyond the Net Grant Program
• Research Grant Program

Additional Resources

• Advocacy Resources
• Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit
• From Commitments to Practice: Internet Society’s Priorities for WSIS+20 Implementation
• Internet Governance and the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)

Open Internet

The Internet works because it is open, interoperable, standardized and decentralized. Policies are being proposed that undermine the standards and technical foundations that ensure the Internet remains globally connected and accessible to all.

Mobilize to:

• Push back on policies and proposals that seek to fragment the network and undermine interoperability

General Resources

• About the Internet Way of Networking
• Internet Impact Assessment Toolkit
• Internet Fragmentation: An Explainer
• Internet Technologies

Blogs

• DNS Blocking: Mind the Unintended Consequences
• Keeping the Internet Open for Business
• “Fair Share” and the Digital Networks Act (DNA): Three Concerns

Online Courses

• What the Internet Needs to Exist
• What the Internet Needs to Thrive
• How to Develop an Internet Impact Brief

Additional Resources

• Policy Brief: Interconnection and Regulated Traffic Obligations