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Reforming Policy to Promote Local Broadband Networks

Penn State University

Alison Powell

Oxford Internet Institute, Oxford, UK

Julio Angel Ortiz

Las Américas Institute of Technology, Boca Chica, Dominican Republic

Most existing assessments of local Wi-Fi projects have concentrated on either top-down, government-driven endeavors, or bottom-up projects developed by volunteers or community organizations. In both Canada and the United States, existing local Wi-Fi projects—both top down and bottom up—have failed to fulfill expectations that they could increase digital inclusion. Current policy frameworks may play some role in these failures. This article argues for a policy approach that favors hybrid public broadband that is neither completely bottom up nor top down, and for the development of policy frameworks that support hybrid public broadband.

Key Words: broadband policy • digital inclusion • community and municipal Wi-Fi • case studies

This version was published on October 1, 2009

Journal of Communication Inquiry, Vol. 33, No. 4, 354-375 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0196859909340799


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