Written for the Association for Progressive Communications, this piece shares insights from the experience of co-creating local knowledge networks- the messy, collaborative process of helping communities establish and maintain their own digital infrastructure.
The article draws on fieldwork in rural India, where “community network” means something different from its usual technical definition. Here, networks are not just about connectivity but about the social relationships, trust, and shared knowledge that make infrastructure meaningful. The piece reflects on what it takes to support communities in building these layers together. Alongside infrastructure, we also experimented with community-driven content creation tools to help participants claim ownership over these networks.