Community-Led Connectivity: Global Initiatives and Progress in 2026

• Communities across Africa, Asia, and Latin America are designing and implementing their own connectivity solutions, proving that inclusive and sustainable access is possible through local ownership.
• These initiatives emphasize that meaningful connectivity is not just about bandwidth, but about social impact, environmental justice, and economic empowerment.
• Advocacy efforts are shifting towards policy frameworks that enable grassroots participation and protect territorial sovereignty.

Community-Led Initiatives

• Nigeria: The Kukum Daji community conducted digital literacy training, while the Initiative For Digital Inclusion and Fantsuam Foundation supported infrastructure deployment.
• Brazil: The "Semeando Redes Resilientes" project launched its first network in Bela Vista, co-developed with local women and youth.
• Philippines: The Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement and CVISNET Foundation utilized satellite and emergency connectivity to aid farmers and disaster recovery.
• Kenya: The Oasis Mathare Code Club is empowering young learners, while AFRALTI hosted workshops on Open Fibre Data Standards.
• South Africa: The Sustainable Connectivity Project in Mpumalanga is providing affordable internet to over 300 households.
• Paraguay: The NANUM project is connecting over 20 Indigenous communities with resilient, intercultural networks.
• Argentina: Residents of Santa Rosa de Tasti successfully deployed and are now expanding their own community-led network.

Gender and Digital Inclusion

• Philippines: Women organic farmers in Kayapa are using connectivity to manage farm data and secure economic independence.
• Indonesia: A report from Aceh highlights how women utilize local networks for disaster resilience and adaptation.
• Platform development: ICT Watch launched the "Materi Ajar Komunitas Berdaya" platform to provide training on digital entrepreneurship and online safety, focusing on women and marginalized groups.

Policy and Regulation

• South Africa: Regulators are consulting on the Electronic Communications Amendment Bill, specifically looking to enable "use it or share it" spectrum policies.
• Colombia: The government approved 12 spectrum usage permits, with nine dedicated specifically to community-led connectivity.
• Regional strategies: Colombia, Nigeria, and the Philippines have launched National Strategies for Community-Centred Connectivity to guide growth through 2027.

Research and Resources

• The ISEA published a policy report, "Beyond bandwidth," documenting the social return on community-led connectivity investments.
• The ITU launched a Connectivity Planning Platform to help model deployment scenarios.
• Connect Humanity released an "Alt Funding Field Guide" to help projects secure non-grant investment from sectors like healthcare and education.

Upcoming Events and Funding

• Asia Community-Centered Connectivity Bootcamp: August 6-10, 2026, in Quezon City, Philippines.
• UNICEF call for interest: Deadline August 7, 2026, to support school connectivity projects.
• Tribal/Native broadband grants: US NTIA applications are open until September 17, 2026.