Alternative Communications Networks Throughout History

Abstract

This report explores the history of alternative communication technologies and networks (“alternets”). It focuses on three historic formations of alternets: 1) the community telephone networks of the late 19th and early 20th century, 2) the Free Radio movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s, and 3) the first generation of community networks providing Internet access in the 1990’s. For each of these movements, the deliverable offers case studies of specific alternets in various countries, mostly in Europe but also in North America. For each of them, we focus on key issues of the netCommons project such as the governance of networks, their long-term sustainability and technological aspects, as well as the political and legal hurdles they faced. The report concludes by drawing parallels and lessons that may be relevant to guide the actions of today’s community networks.