Community Owned and Operated WiFi Mesh Networks to provide low cost, low exposure access to information as well as local and global communication.
@ Hawalbagh, Uttarakhand, India
Rooftop routers hosted by community members provide a backbone for the COWMesh
@ Hawalbagh, Uttarakhand, India
Long range outdoor routers can be used to create point to point links over many kilometers provided clear line of sight
COWMesh-es are built from off the shelf, low cost, easy to replace and repair hardware.
With COWHerd, the new Raspberry Pi based COWMesh router, the COWMesh can also connect to TVs
COWMesh (Community Owned Wireless Mesh) is a mechanism for communities to take ownership of local communications and reduce the cost of access to information. The model is particularly useful for remote communities where information access is at a premium. COWMeshes use WiFI and other low cost deregulated media to share content locally.
COWMeshes are now active in multiple communities across India and have been able to demonstrate a reduction in the cost of access by almost 20x!
This site is a resource hub for communities who wish to set up their own COWMesh.
COWMesh Ranikajal #0 – Building Networks in Connectivity Choked Rural India
Earlier this month I was at the Ranikajal Jeevanshala school in Kakrana, Madhya Pradesh, studying the region for possible applications of the COWMesh network design that we have been working with. Connectivity in India is interestingly distributed. The Internet is...
read moreWant your own COWMesh?
Get in touch with us to set up your own COWMesh network!