The Internet Society, in partnership with the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, organized the European Community Networks Summit “Community Networks: Connecting the Next Billion.” It took place in Tbilisi, Georgia on November 14-15 2019.
The Internet Society has partnered with the private and public sector and civil society to bring connectivity to areas that do not have it. Over the past few years, community networks have emerged as a low-cost, community-driven way to bring Internet connections to some of the most remote and underserved parts of the world, including in the mountainous region of Tusheti, Georgia.
But community networks face many challenges. To help, The Internet Society, in partnership with the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, organized a conference in Tbilisi this November to bring together stakeholders and EU policy-makers.
Three main issues were investigated:
- The technical issues surrounding community networks
- Leveraging public and private investment into these types of local networks
- Creating the right regulatory and policy environment to support hose initiatives in Europe
If you couldn’t join in person, watch the recording!
Image credit: Nyani Quarmyne/Internet Society
