Wireless for Communities

The Digital Empowerment Foundation’s Wireless for Communities (W4C) Initiative has done outstanding work in connecting remote communities in India. Advocating access to information as a fundamental right, W4C has successfully connected more than 150 villages in the country. This initiative employs low-cost, line-of-sight Wi-Fi equipment using the unlicensed 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz spectrum bands. This enables the creation of community-owned and operated wireless networks in rural and remote areas, thus democratizing Internet access. These community networks aim to facilitate knowledge sharing, content creation and dissemination of information relevant to the local context of each location. In addition, women are trained to become engineers capable of maintaining and managing these networks. This initiative stands out for its focus on training and empowering communities through digital connectivity.