About

A Meeting Place, Learning Place & Market Place: Turn the digital divide into digital dividends with AI & HUMAN support.

Community Internet is the dba for Broadband Institute Foundation.

501(c)(3)

We are a Platform Cooperative, Collaborative Community Commons, and the educational arm of the Broadband Institute Foundation (a Michigan educational nonprofit, IRS: PUBLIC CHARITY) – articles of incorporation. We are qualified by the IRS as a nonprofit to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers or gifts under section 2055, 2106, or 2522. EIN: 87-4724219

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Mission

Our charitable organization creates educational resources to improve Internet access for underserved populations. Free online training materials use Creative Commons licensing, rather than copyright. We train people to create Community Owned Infrastructure Networks, COIN, that promote local, regenerative economies, and leverage AI that works for us, rather than over us.

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Help us prevent “Enshittification” of our platform

“Cory Doctorow advocates for two ways to reduce enshittification: upholding the end-to–end principle, which asserts that platforms should transmit data in response to user requests rather than algorithm-driven decisions; and guaranteeing the right of exit—that is, enabling a user to leave a platform without data loss, which requires interoperability. These moves aim to uphold the standards and trustworthiness of online platforms, emphasize user satisfaction, and encourage market competition.”

We already have built in support for the right of exit. Anyone can leave our platform and export all of their data to take with them. You can help us to make decisions about our directions by submitting user requests via our contact form.

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Some definitions

Platform cooperatives are businesses that sell goods or services primarily through a website, mobile app, or protocol. They rely on democratic decision-making and shared platform ownership by workers and users.

What is a co-op? A cooperative is defined as an autonomous association of persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations through a jointly-owned and democratically-controlled enterprise.

What is a platform? A platform is an online application or website used by individuals or groups to connect to one another or to organize services.

Platform Cooperative Consortium

The Internet should connect us like the sidewalk

Together, we can do this. In a Ted Talk Bob Frankston starts with this question to the audience: “How many of you paid your sidewalk provider in order to come here?” So, why do we accept the idea that we will let providers, who must make a profit, decide on what limits they want to impose on our Freedom to Connect? I embedded the video below in an article I published in Medium back in 2017, when I was a member of NYC Mesh: “Ending Net Neutrality: Tip of the FCC Fuckery Iceberg That Limits Your Freedom to Connect.“

Working cooperatively will promote #DigitalEquity

During the 1930s, rural electrification was a major challenge in the United States. At the time, private electric utilities were hesitant to extend their services to rural areas because they were considered unprofitable. This meant that millions of Americans in rural areas were left without access to electricity. In response to this problem, the U.S. government established the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in 1935. The REA provided loans to rural electric cooperatives, which were owned and operated by the farmers themselves. These cooperatives were able to use the loans to build power lines and other facilities to bring electricity to their communities.

AI Chat GPT-4

Rather than being a single cooperative, we are functioning as a Federation of emerging cooperatives. Our focus is being in the center of that Federation, and providing tools for horizontal communication and learning.

We’re closing the Digital Divide with a Platform Cooperative that trains people to build Community Owned Internet Networks. We use LearnDash, a Learning Management System, and the BuddyBoss Platform in WordPress for community engagement to connect Courses with Social Groups and discussion Forums, thus promoting “Social Learning.” Governance by teachers employs “consensus decision-making” with tools from Loomio. We use a grassroots legal and financial toolbox from Open Collective.

Visit our Foundation’s website

Broadband Institute Foundation

Rural Co-op Report

Open PDF from ILSR

Our mission & tools to achieve our goals (90 sec video)

Learn about how we move from an extractive to a circular economy. Plus, see how this website, integrates Groups, discussion Forums, and Courses.

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We subscribe to the seven cooperative principles

Here is a breakdown of each principle:

1. Voluntary and Open Membership: Cooperatives are open to all individuals who can use their services and are willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without discrimination based on gender, social standing, race, political affiliation, or religion. 
2. Democratic Member Control: Members control their cooperative through democratic means, typically with each member having one vote. 
3. Members’ Economic Participation: Members contribute equitably to and democratically control the capital of their cooperative, receiving limited compensation on capital as a condition of membership, with surpluses allocated to benefit members and the cooperative. 
4. Autonomy and Independence: Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members and remain independent when making agreements or raising capital. 
5. Education, Training, and Information: Cooperatives provide education and training for their members, elected representatives, and employees to help them contribute to the cooperative’s success, and they inform the general public about cooperation. 
6. Cooperation Among Cooperatives: Cooperatives strengthen the movement by working together through local, national, regional, and international structures. 
7. Concern for Community: Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.