It’s amazing how a project can evolve over time, spanning different phases of life and places around the world. My latest book is a testament to that, having its humble beginnings during my PhD days at Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya BarcelonaTech in beautiful Barcelona, and continuing through my postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge in the UK. What started as an academic curiosity has now blossomed into an exploration of something very near and dear to me: community networks (CNs) and how we can empower them through innovative technology.
Community networks have always intrigued me because they’re more than just technical systems—they’re built by people, for people. These are networks owned, operated, and managed by local volunteers, who provide much-needed internet access and services to their communities, often in areas overlooked by major ISPs. But what if these networks could offer even more? That’s where CN micro-clouds come in.
In essence, micro-clouds bring digital services closer to the users inside the network. This not only improves how these services perform but also offers communities the ability to develop alternatives to mainstream internet services. Imagine a local video streaming service that performs better than anything you’d find online, or a storage system that allows the community to keep its data safe without relying on big tech companies.
In my book, I dive deep into these micro-clouds, examining the technical details required for them to run smoothly in volunteer-driven CNs. We look at popular services like distributed storage and live streaming and explore how to optimize them for the unique conditions found in CNs. One of the main challenges I took on was how to make sure these services run efficiently in environments where resources like bandwidth and availability fluctuate constantly. This led me to develop two algorithms—PASP (Policy-aware Service Placement) and BASP (Bandwidth and Availability-aware Service Placement)—that ensure services are placed in the best possible locations within the network to maximize performance.
I’m especially proud of how we tested these algorithms on a real-world network—Guifi.net, one of the largest community networks in the world. The results were more than promising: improved bandwidth, faster response times, and happier users. And let’s face it, in volunteer-driven networks, a happy user is the most important result of all!
This book isn’t just for network engineers and researchers. It’s for anyone who believes in the power of community and technology working hand in hand. I hope it inspires people to explore the potential of CN micro-clouds and think about how we can build a more connected, inclusive future.
The work I’ve presented here couldn’t have been done without the support of so many brilliant minds. From my PhD supervisors in Barcelona to the inspiring teams I collaborated with in Cambridge, Lisbon, and Tetova, I’m deeply grateful for their contributions. This has truly been a collaborative effort, and I’m excited to share it with the world.
So, whether you’re a seasoned network enthusiast or someone curious about how technology can benefit communities, I hope this book provides valuable insights and maybe even sparks your interest in CN micro-clouds. After all, the future of connectivity might just be in the hands of the people!
