Social Entrepreneur´s Profile:

Ramón Roca

Güifi.net

Ramón has created a new and sustainable way of extending internet access to the last mile in isolated communities by creating a community owned and operated network where every user co-owns and co-manages the infrastructure. He is treating internet access as a common good, rather than as a private good, while avoiding “the tragedy of the commons” which has caused so many common goods efforts to fail.

New Idea and Strategy

Internet access in rural areas is one of the main challenges with socioeconomic consequences that hinder development at the local level in Spain. Over 18% of Spanish households do not have Internet access. That is due to the fact that the broadband offer is too expensive or non-existent. For traditional companies, it is not profitable to provide internet in sparsely populated areas far from the city, which accelerates rural depopulation and increases the digital divide between the countryside and the city.

Ramon has created Guifi.net to foster an open, free and neutral telecommunications network, managed by a collaborative network of people where each user is co-owner and co-manager of the infrastructure, providing access to high-quality broadband services mainly to isolated communities. This innovative system empowers local communities by helping them to install open-source, commonly owned telecommunications infrastructure as an alternative to the private networks of traditional telecommunications companies.

Ramon has built the world’s largest community internet network, bridging the digital divide between villagers and urban dwellers. In concrete terms, they have given Internet access to more than 150,000 people, supporting the creation of local businesses and jobs.

His work more important than ever

COVID has made Ramon’s work more urgent than ever: amplified by the closure of the country, which made rural areas feel even more disconnected, unseen, and lost. Guifi.net ensures connectivity in rural areas, which is a necessary commodity in the globalized world we live in.