Telecommunications reclaimed

This guide on how to build a community network, a shared local telecommunications infrastructure managed as a commons, was written collectively by a group of pioneers of community networks in Europe, activists and researchers.Meant for a wide audience, it is full of anecdotes as well as legal, technical, governance, economic and policy recommendations based on the three-year-long European research project netCommons. Its goal is to take the reader through a set of actions aimed at setting up and fostering the growth of community networks, and to provide a mix of practical knowledge and explanations illustrated by hands-on experiences and real-life stories.Starting with presentations of established community networks, and an introduction to the importance and the role of community networks, it provides step-by-step guidelines and concrete information on the resources needed to start a community network, get it running, and keep it sustainable in the long term. From technical options to economic models, governance choices, legal requirements, and the various skills needed to be involved, this lively resource proposes ways to engage with a local community at every stage of a community network.