Community wireless networks are closing the digital divide. We help them grow.

Across the U.S., nonprofits, cities, schools and neighbors are building their own wireless networks to bring affordable internet to low-income homes and public places. The Community Wireless Coalition connects these networks, studies what makes them sustainable, and brings that evidence to policymakers.

Join the coalition See network models
Home broadband, 2026

Low-income households are far less likely to have home internet

  • Suburban adults85%
  • All adults78%
  • Urban adults75%
  • Rural adults72%
  • Household income under $30,00057%
Share of U.S. adults who subscribe to home broadband. Source: Pew Research Center, 2026.
Mission

The Community Wireless Coalition supports nonprofit and municipal community wireless network providers that make affordable, reliable internet available to underserved and low-income people at home and in public places.

Our vision

Every person in this country should have access to affordable internet service at home and in their neighborhood, regardless of their income.

Why it matters

Affordable internet helps people find jobs, see a doctor, continue their education and reach government services. While billions of dollars go to bring broadband to rural areas, inner-city communities are often overlooked. Community wireless networks help fill that gap.

How we work

Convene practitioners

We bring network builders together on regular calls to share what works, solve problems and build relationships.

  • Monthly practitioner calls
  • Shared resources and an events calendar

Promote research

We develop and share research on what these networks cost, how they earn revenue and what keeps them running.

  • Case studies of individual networks
  • Analysis of barriers and successful strategies

Advance policy

We educate federal, state and local policymakers about the value of community wireless and the rules and funding that help it succeed.

  • Briefings for officials and their staffs
  • Talks at broadband conferences
Networks

Community networks are already working in cities across the country

Community wireless networks have grown up in communities large and small. Not every one has thrived. Geography, rights-of-way, population density, anchor institution support, funding, equipment costs and leadership all shape whether a network lasts.

  • Philadelphia
  • New York
  • Detroit
  • Cleveland
  • Baltimore
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Boulder Valley, CO
  • Imperial County, CA
  • Council Bluffs, IA
CASE STUDY · IN PROGRESS

Philadelphia

One of the first big-city wireless efforts in the country. What its history teaches about financing, partnerships and planning for the long term.

CASE STUDY · IN PROGRESS

New York

Neighborhood and volunteer-built networks alongside city programs. How community ownership changes the cost of connecting a building.

CASE STUDY · IN PROGRESS

Seattle

Connecting public housing and anchor institutions. How local partners divide the work of building, operating and supporting a network.

Know a community network we should profile? Email us at info@communitywirelesscoalition.org.

Research

Follow the money in a community network

Debates over community broadband often stall on one question: can these networks pay for themselves? Good answers are rare because few networks report their finances the same way.

Our research uses one framework for every network we study, splitting startup capital from operating costs and tracking each source of revenue. That makes it possible to compare a volunteer network in one city with a municipal network in another.

Each study asks four questions:

  1. What did it cost to build, per home passed and per home connected?
  2. What does it cost each year to keep running?
  3. Which revenue sources cover those costs, and how stable are they?
  4. How many low-income households and anchor institutions does it serve?
COST & REVENUE FRAMEWORKper network
Capital · build-out
Radios, access points, antennas$ / node
Rooftop and pole attachment rights$ / site
Backhaul and fiber connection$ / link
Installation labor (paid and volunteer)hrs, $
Operating · per year
Upstream internet transit$ / Mbps
Maintenance and equipment replacement$ / yr
Staff, support, and digital-skills help$ / yr
Revenue
Subscriber fees or donations$ / home / mo
Federal programs (e.g. E-Rate for schools & libraries)$ / yr
State and local grants or contracts$ / yr
Philanthropy$ / yr
Cost per household connected$ / mo
Models

Five ways communities build wireless networks

There is no single recipe. These are the main models among the networks the coalition works with.

  1. MODEL 1

    Community Wi-Fi networks

    Local organizations and volunteers install and run the equipment, often on rooftops, and offer service free or at low cost to their neighbors.

    ExamplesPhilly Community Wireless · Seattle Community Network

  2. MODEL 2

    Municipal wireless networks

    A city or town builds and owns the network, often using its own fiber, poles and buildings.

    ExampleBLink Community Network, Council Bluffs, IA

  3. MODEL 3

    Anchor institution networks

    A school district, library or education agency extends its network beyond its buildings to reach students and residents at home.

    ExamplesConnectMe, Boulder Valley, CO · BorderLink, Imperial County, CA · San Jose Free Community Wi-Fi, CA

  4. MODEL 4

    Nonprofit providers under city contract

    A city partners with a nonprofit that builds and operates the network on its behalf.

    ExampleDigitalC, Cleveland, OH

  5. MODEL 5

    Small wireless ISPs

    Small local wireless internet providers (WISPs) that focus on underserved and low-income communities.

    ExamplesComing soon

Policy

Evidence for every level of government

Broadband decisions are made in Washington, in state capitals and at city hall. Local leaders are best placed to build these networks, but they need the support of policymakers at every level.

FEDERAL

Congress, the FCC and NTIA

How community networks fit within federal broadband and affordability programs, and which rules make it easier or harder for them to take part.

STATE

Governors and state broadband offices

How states can include community networks in grant programs, and how state laws on municipal broadband affect local options.

LOCAL

Mayors, councils and housing authorities

What a city can contribute, such as rooftops, poles, fiber and public buildings, and what it realistically costs to support a network.

Need a briefing or a source for a hearing? Email us at info@communitywirelesscoalition.org.

Support

Join or support the coalition

The coalition is open to the organizations building community wireless networks and the companies and funders who help them.

Core members

Community Wi-Fi networks, municipal and anchor institution networks, nonprofit providers and small WISPs serving underserved and low-income communities.

Affiliate members

Equipment manufacturers, consultants, wireless designers and other companies that support community and municipal networks.

Funders and sponsors

Foundations and corporate sponsors that fund research, practitioner convenings and the coalition's work with policymakers.

Membership is not open to large national carriers, such as the major cellular and cable companies.

Questions, or ready to join? Email info@communitywirelesscoalition.org.

About Us

Four decades in broadband policy

The Community Wireless Coalition was founded to give community networks a clear, evidence-based voice in broadband policy.

John Windhausen, Jr. is the founder of Telepoly, an online portal of information and analysis of broadband policy issues. He is the former Executive Director of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, a public interest advocacy organization based in Washington DC.

Mr. Windhausen formerly led a telecommunications trade association and served for nine years on Capitol Hill as a staff counsel for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee. He began his career as a staff attorney at the Federal Communications Commission in 1984.

He has a B.A. from Yale University and a J.D. from the UCLA School of Law.

  • Founder, Telepoly
  • Founder and former Executive Director, SHLB Coalition
  • Staff counsel, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee
  • Staff attorney, FCC