What are Community Networks?
Community Networks are an upcoming trend in broadband access. Community Networks are often initiated by Communityities or groups of citizens that are unhappy with the broadband offering in their community, the level of competition in the local market or just because their is no broadband offering. There is also a trend that internet companies like Google initiate Community networks. Their drive is more commercial and aimed at generating more revenues i.e. by offering location based services.

Why do Community Networks come up now?
Community Networks are possible because of deregulation and liberalization in the telecommunications markets. In many countries, virtually anybody can acquire a telecommunications license and start a telecommunications operator. Operating a telecommunications network is not that expensive anymore and there are plenty of market parties available to outsource most of the work to. Nowadays, you see many types of new entrants entering the market, from Communities to private investors and real estate companies. After finalizing their business case, they conclude there is plenty of margin between the commercial rates of incumbent operators and the cost price.

The underlying technology
Community Networks can in theory be built with any type of technology. In practice you see Fiber-To-The-Home and WiFi based projects in developed areas and WiMax and Wifi based projects in less developed areas.

The role of Municipalities?
Municipalities can play an important role as initiator of Community Networks. They can play the role of project driver, launching customer or help bundling demand. Municipalities generally have to be careful with financing Community Networks. State aid for these networks is in most countries (e.g, in Europe) not allowed and may drastically change the competitive landscape and lead to complaints of existing market players. Only in case of an objective market failure, public financing is relatively safe.

Conict Consultants experience in Community Networks
Conict Consultants has supported Municipalities, Housing Corporations and Private Investors with strategic decisionmaking, implementation planning and actual implementation. The World Bank has also been using our experience in various projects. See also the information under 'rural ICT'. We have made business cases for FTTH, WiFi, Wimax and DSL technology.

Conict Consultants can draw upon expertise of MuniWireless where necessary.