Community Internets Promote Sustainability

A local, circular, regenerative economy promotes sustainability by focusing on resource efficiency, reducing waste, and enhancing local resilience. Community-owned internet networks can play a pivotal role in supporting such economies by providing equitable access to digital resources, fostering local innovation, and keeping economic benefits within the community. Here are some examples and strategies:

Examples of Local, Circular, Regenerative Economy

1. Resource Efficiency and Waste Reduction:
   • Example: Local businesses collaborate to use each other’s by-products as raw materials, minimizing waste. For instance, a brewery’s spent grain could be used by a local bakery or farm.
   • Strategy: Community-owned networks can facilitate these collaborations by providing platforms for businesses to connect and share resources.
2. Renewable Energy:
   • Example: Communities invest in local renewable energy projects like solar or wind farms, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and promoting energy independence.
   • Strategy: Internet networks can optimize energy use by supporting smart grid technologies and enabling remote monitoring and management of renewable energy systems.
3. Local Food Systems:
   • Example: Farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture (CSA) programs shorten supply chains and promote local food production.
   • Strategy: Community networks can provide platforms for e-commerce, connecting consumers directly with local producers and facilitating logistics and delivery services.
4. Repair and Reuse:
   • Example: Repair cafes and maker spaces encourage the repair and reuse of goods instead of discarding them, fostering a culture of sustainability.
   • Strategy: Networks can host online tutorials, forums, and booking systems for these spaces, increasing community engagement and participation.
5. Shared Mobility:
   • Example: Car-sharing programs and bike-sharing systems reduce the need for private vehicle ownership, decreasing traffic congestion and emissions.
   • Strategy: Internet networks can support these initiatives with apps and online platforms for booking and managing shared mobility resources.

How Community-Owned Internet Networks Promote Sustainability

1. Keeping Economic Benefits Local:
   • Incumbent ISPs: Often extract profits from the community, with revenues flowing out to shareholders and executives.
   • Community-Owned Networks: Revenues are reinvested locally, funding infrastructure improvements, local jobs, and community projects. This keeps the economic benefits within the community and supports local development.
2. Promoting Digital Inclusion:
   • Incumbent ISPs: May neglect underserved areas or charge high prices, creating digital divides.
   • Community-Owned Networks: Ensure affordable, equitable access to high-speed internet for all residents, enabling participation in the digital economy and access to online education, telehealth, and remote work opportunities.
3. Supporting Local Innovation:
   • Incumbent ISPs: May not prioritize local needs or innovation.
   • Community-Owned Networks: Can tailor services to meet specific community needs, support local startups, and foster innovation hubs and tech incubators.
4. Enhancing Community Resilience:
   • Incumbent ISPs: Centralized control can lead to vulnerabilities in service continuity and disaster recovery.
   • Community-Owned Networks: Decentralized, locally managed networks are more adaptable and resilient in the face of disruptions, ensuring continuous service during emergencies.
5. Facilitating Circular Economy Practices:
   • Incumbent ISPs: Focus on profit maximization rather than sustainability.
   • Community-Owned Networks: Can support platforms and apps that facilitate sharing, trading, and reusing resources within the community, promoting circular economy principles.
6. Encouraging Sustainable Practices:
   • Incumbent ISPs: May not have incentives to promote sustainable practices.
   • Community-Owned Networks: Can implement and advocate for sustainable practices, such as energy-efficient data centers, promotion of telecommuting to reduce transportation emissions, and support for smart city initiatives that optimize resource use.

Case Studies and Examples

1. Chattanooga, Tennessee:
   • Chattanooga’s EPB Fiber Optics, a community-owned network, provides high-speed internet and supports local initiatives. It reinvests profits into the community, funds local education and tech programs, and has helped transform Chattanooga into a thriving tech hub.
2. Orangeburg County, South Carolina:
   • Faced with neglect from commercial ISPs, Orangeburg County developed its own network to ensure digital access for its residents, supporting local education and economic development initiatives​​.
3. Vermont Communications Union Districts (CUDs):
   • Vermont’s CUDs are examples of regional collaborations to provide high-speed internet through community ownership, ensuring that profits stay local and supporting regional economic resilience​​.

By focusing on community ownership and local management, these networks ensure that the benefits of connectivity are shared equitably and sustainably, promoting a regenerative economic model that contrasts sharply with the extractive nature of traditional ISPs.