Movement Alliance Project

Philly Community Wireless’ mission is to bridge the digital divide by building large-scale and no-cost Wi-Fi networks in disenfranchised neighborhoods of Philadelphia. By developing an alternative model for expanding broadband access and adoption in complex urban settings, PCW empowers communities to be involved in the construction, maintenance, and design of a public utility to provide sustainable connectivity for everyone in the neighborhood. 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 Wi-Fi network, but rather spreads Wi-Fi access across large areas of a city in both public and private areas, challenging the paradigm of privatized internet access and demonstrating what shared internet service provisioning can make possible.

Philly Community Wireless (PCW) began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, a time that highlighted the need for robust public resources and internet access, especially for historically underserved communities in Philadelphia. Our primary work over the past five years has focused on building our community-controlled internet network in zones of North Philadelphia where research has consistently shown the least amount of internet access. Support from the Mayor’s Fund of Philadelphia (now the Philadelphia City Fund) enabled PCW to begin its pilot project in the neighborhood of Norris Square. As of December 31, 2024, PCW has installed Wi-Fi connections through access points at 43 distinct locations in the Norris Square (zip codes 19122, 19133), Fairhill (zip codes 19133, 19140), and Kensington (zip codes 19125, 19134) neighborhoods, providing internet to tens of thousands of users across several hundred homes and various community spaces, including parks, gardens, community organizations, and libraries.

PCW works to involve community members and organizational leaders in every element of our work, as hosts of our network equipment, volunteers who participate in building and sustaining our infrastructure, and members of our advisory committees. PCW’s community-based approach allows us to develop trust and mutual exchange that creates the foundation for a sustainable, long-term solution and facilitates internet adoption and digital skills in diverse communities.