Soros Foundation and CUWiN

Bringing wireless to the world

Client

The Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network (CUWiN), funded through the Open Society Institute by the Soros Foundation, is developing wireless technology to be used around the globe, with a focus on developing nations. The result will be the most advanced community wireless technology in the world.

CHALLENGE

CUWiN is striving to connect every local citizen to the Internet at low cost, to develop open-source hardware and software for use by wireless projects around the globe, and to build and support community-owned, not-for-profit broadband networks in cities and towns throughout the world.

SOLUTION

Since its inception, the CUWiN has grown to become a leading source of information, software, and hardware for building community wireless networks. Over the past three years, CUWiN research and development has yielded two proof-of-concept CUWiN prototypes in Urbana. The current Open Society Institute grant is allowing the CUWiN development team to refine this software and build a large-scale Community Wireless Network testbed that can be used by the Champaign-Urbana community to bring affordable broadband connectivity to all.

Learn more about CUWiN