A drone image from above showing 5 people on a rowhome roof, 4 people working on a small structure with an access point device.

About PCW

Philly Community Wireless is committed to expanding internet access, growing tech literacy, and building community autonomy with our neighbors. Through our unique community internet model, we partner with local organizations and neighbors to expand digital access where it’s needed most.

Philly Community Wireless is a fiscally sponsored non-profit organization that began during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic underscored the necessity of internet access in today’s world, and governments and organizations came up with emergency responses to increase digital adoption, especially among low-income and marginalized populations. PCW was created with the intent to build a sustainable baseline of internet access that would last beyond these emergency efforts, based on an alternative model of what the internet is and can be: a public “utility” that is shareable between and among public and private spaces.

We work with PhillyWisper, a pro-net neutrality, wireless internet service provider to install our open and public internet network across North Philadelphia, so far concentrating on zip codes 19122, 19133, and 19134. Over the last six years, our network growth and partnerships with other local organizations have helped us establish a proven model for what community internet can make possible in local communities.

As we continue to grow our network, our organization has expanded and evolved as well. What began as a volunteer-led pilot project is now a more structured organization with a total of four staff members and some dozens of volunteers that participate in our work with varying levels of engagement. We have a Board of Advisors, and are working on establishing both a Technical Advisory Board and a Neighborhood Advisory Board to ensure we incorporate the expertise and feedback of community members and dedicated volunteers.

To learn more about our staff, boards, and other people involved in our work, visit our People page. For updates about our work, sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media @phillycommunitywireless.

Our Mission

Our mission is to bridge the digital divide by building large-scale and no-cost WiFi networks in private and public spaces of underserved Philadelphia neighborhoods. We aim to provide a baseline of internet access for everyone, enhancing quality of life today and positioning communities for a more healthy and prosperous tomorrow.
PCW Volunteers posing for a group photo on the roof of NSNP.

Our Vision

Philly Community Wireless was formed in 2020 at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a time that highlighted the need for robust public resources and internet access. Our work focuses on building our network and larger community to provide free internet access and support internet adoption in areas of North Philadelphia where research has consistently shown the least amount of digital access.

We envision a just future where everyone can meaningfully access the internet, regardless of their income or housing situation. We believe in establishing a baseline of internet access for all that does not seek to solely provide every “house” or “home” with its own, separate WiFi network, but rather spreads WiFi access across large areas of a city. This approach offers a viable alternative to the existing paradigm of privatized internet access and shows what shared internet service provisioning can make possible in a major urban setting.

Our Values

We believe that access to the Internet is a fundamental human right and that independent, community-owned and -operated wireless is a sustainable and scaleable means of digital inclusion.

We support net neutrality principles and believe that the Internet should be provided free of throttling, zero-rating, and the tracking and monetization of user behavior.

We affirm that people matter more than profit and that the principles of cooperation and mutual aid can grow a fundamentally different kind of digital network.

We commit to starting small, learning from our mistakes, and inviting the input and perspectives of teachers, organizers, technologists, and community members alike in building this network.

Watch Our Documentary (2022):

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