Seattle
Esther Jang, postdoctoral researcher in Computer Science at the University of Washington, documents the Seattle Community Network (SCN) as a “teaching and learning network” and a sustainable model for community internet access.
SCN is a volunteer-run digital-equity-focused community network built during the pandemic to improve Internet access among underserved neighborhoods in the Seattle, wider King County, and Tacoma areas, with the support of initial grants from King County and the City of Seattle along with ongoing support from the University of Washington.
The community learning network supports a living local community of practice to onboard students and other members into computer networking and technical/IT skills, and to help jump-start other Internet access networks in the region. The explicitly not-for-profit and educational mission of the network (as opposed to a commercial ISP) allows SCN to focus our efforts on digital equity and educational initiatives, for example providing low-cost or free service and job training to underserved local communities, and providing outreach and assistance to rural neighbors trying to set up similar infrastructure.
SCN aims to build and open source a case study and detailed “how-to” guide or SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) Toolkit for implementing a community learning network, along with a holistic evaluation and documentation of its sustainability and digital equity impacts.
Posts
How to build a BOM
Esther Jang provides a detailed guide to developing a Bill of Materials (BOM) and budget for building small Wi-Fi networks. Using Seattle Community Network’s (SCN’s) experience providing connectivity to Tiny House Villages, Esther is able to offer a guide to other nonprofit networks so they can keep costs reasonable and the technology appropriate to fully connect their sites.
Related
Seattle Technology Access and Adoption Study Background (2024)
Bio
Esther Jang is a recent PhD and postdoctoral researcher in Computer Science at the University of Washington. She is also a Director at the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Local Connectivity Lab and a founder of the (2019) Seattle Community Network, where they build DIY Internet infrastructure for digital equity. Jang has installed community networks in the US and around the world, and teaches technical networking at the Tribal Broadband Bootcamp. Jang’s work centers DIY, empowerment, and pedagogy. For example- building communities of practice to sustain technical infrastructures, and vice versa.