IGF 2019 Community Networks: Policy and Regulations

Over the past 4 years, the Dynamic Coalition on Community Connectivity (DC3) has successfully demonstrated that Community Networks (CNs) are feasible options to expand connectivity and that the communities behind CNs are reliable partners. The sound research and engagement activity promoted by DC3 has aroused the attention of an incredibly wide range of actors, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that co-sponsored the 2018 outcome, elaborated by DC3: the Community Network Manual: How to Build the Internet Yourself.

Besides the research demonstrating the feasibility and interest of CNs and instructions on how to build them, it is time to provide concrete suggestions for policymakers on how to facilitate CNs. To this extent, DC3 members have jointly elaborated the 2019 Annual Outcome document dedicated to Building Community Networks Policies: A Collaborative Governance towards Enabling Frameworks.

This booklet is jointly published by FGV, ITU and ISOC and will be distributed at the DC3 session. The volume was developed in a participatory manner by DC3 members, starting from works developed by various CN advocates and researchers over the past years. Such works include the Declaration on Community Connectivity; the netCommons the Open letter to EU policy makers, the Declaration of the First Latin American Summit of Community Network, etc.

The goal of the DC3 outcome document is to act as a working document from which all interested stakeholders can take inspiration to start constructive discussions on how to facilitate CNs through the most appropriate policy frameworks

The IGF session will have the following agenda:

• Introduction and presentation of DC3 and its work
• Keynote remarks
• Presentations of case studies
• Discussion of the proposed policy elements
• Discussion of next steps and further actions for DC3