These Indigenous communities built their own internet

The Internet Society’s 2019 Indigenous connectivity project helped construct the first community network in Hawaii, operated out of the Hawaiian village of Pu‘uhonua o Waimānalo. The project began with six weeks of preplanning, including training in various community network models, fiber installation, and cyber security, and was followed by a two-and-a-half-day installation project and training for residents to operate a new, local broadband network. 

Buell explained that site surveys by native Hawaiians spotted technical issues a normal survey would've missed — dense foliage during the rainy season would block the tower’s line of sight, and seasonal thunderstorms would knock out equipment if backup power supplies weren’t in place. The towers were moved around for visibility and back up generators were installed to account for harsh weather.

Part of the self-determined Nation of Hawaii, the village has since doubled the size of its network and is looking to offer its services to Hawaiian residents outside of their village.

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