Philly Community Wireless

Join us at TLC’s Annual Conference this Thursday! This event brings together organizations, community leaders, and others dedicated to digital equity to discuss solutions and best practices. PCW will be on a panel about community engagement at 10:15am. See www.tlcphilly.org for more info!

One of the most frequent questions we’re asked is how we can provide Wi-Fi to our community for FREE! We wouldn’t be where we are today without our partnership with ISP PhillyWisper, who donates bandwidth to us and helps us install fixed wireless radios. Check them out! phillywisper.net

TOMORROW starting at 12pm, join us at 2141 N Howard for a special Saturday event, open for all! For anyone interested in networking, homelabbing, how to block ads, and learning about our server set-up at HQ, this is for you! Lunch from a local spot provided. DM us to let us know if you’re coming 📥

Maintenance visit at HACE CDC’s Caribe complex: We stopped by to troubleshoot our Wi-Fi bridges, improving signal in the surrounding area! This past month, we’ve also welcomed back Francisco from Philly’s Urban Technology Project, who will be working with us as an apprentice all year.📡

Had an amazing time with Zion Baptist Church at their annual Community Day! As part of the Pyramid STEAM showcase geared towards youth, PCW set up ethernet crimping and hardware activity stations, handed out prizes like HDMI cables, and chatted with folks about PCW and our mission. 💜

Recent install in Kensington with volunteers and staff, expanding PCW’s network on the east side of Kensington Ave! Check out our live map at map.phillycommunitywireless.org to see where we’re currently located.

Help us expand internet access in Norris Square, Fairhill, and Kensington 💜🛜 No experience needed! Come join our team of everyday folks building community internet. Sign-up to volunteer with PCW through our “Volunteer Sign-up Form” in our linktree, and invite a friend!

Thanks to the Kensington Community Relief Fund, in partnership with the Scattergood Foundation, for granting us funds to continue expanding community internet connectivity in the Kensington, Harrowgate, and Fairhill neighborhoods! PCW looks forward to more time in an incredible area of the city.

Another successful community garden install supported by the William Penn Foundation! We set up an outdoor device at Emerald Wildflower Garden, providing Wi-Fi to the garden and Emerald St Community Farm across the street, and installed indoor Wi-Fi next door at The Perch Music & Arts Workshop.

Latoya shares why she thinks PCW's free public Wi-Fi matters 📶

How could free public internet change your life, or the lives of people around you?

Thanks to @whyy.org Education and their summer journalism program for featuring our work! Check out the whole video here: tinyurl.com/WHYYEduVideo

We are thrilled to receive a generous grant from AARP with funding support by Microsoft, helping PCW make internet accessible for older populations! The AARP Community Challenge serves to make tangible improvements in communities that jump-start long-term change. Learn more: AARP.org/Livable

We set up a building bridge connection between @nkcdc.bsky.social and a private residence to bring internet to Hart Lane Community Farm and its neighbors! Thanks to our volunteer, Mike, for bringing his drone which was able to capture the trajectory of our signal traveling between the two devices.

Philly group knits community together with outdoor wi-fi Philly Community Wireless is trying to bridge the gap in outdoor wireless. They showed us why outdoor wi-fi is just important as indoor access

Thanks to @billy-penn.bsky.social for writing a feature story on our work here at PCW! We appreciate the opportunity to discuss the importance of having internet connectivity available for all in local parks, community centers, gardens, and public spaces. Read more here: tinyurl.com/Billy-Penn-A...

We met up with ITDRC to learn more about their mission, how ITDRC builds their networks, and see their cellular & satellite tech. ITDRC is a volunteer-driven org that responds to areas impacted by disasters, building emergency comms networks to facilitate rescue & relief. Thanks to all who came out!

Help support Iffy Books! iffybooks.net/donate/

Philly’s ‘Power Up Tour’ gives devices to those most in need The city’s new initiative will give away 500 laptops to families, a necessity in a time of limited device and internet access.

billypenn.com/2025/05/23/p...

Big thanks to @billy-penn.bsky.social for featuring PCW in their article regarding the city’s efforts to advance digital equity! Read more about the city’s Power Up initiative to give away 500 laptops to eligible families in Philadelphia, with quotes from our Executive Director, Alex Wermer-Colan.

Quick stop at HACE Villas to get some of our APs back online after doing a tour of PAR Recycle Works in the morning!

PCW builds out internet network in community and private spaces, but we’re also helping nonprofits expand and improve their Wi-Fi! At The Lighthouse 1893 Sports Field, we deployed a Unifi Dream Router and an outdoor device at their barn location, providing wider internet access across the complex.

Sign up here! phillycommunitywireless.org/volunteer/

PCW is welcoming volunteers! Driven by the belief that access to the internet is a human right, together our team builds community-controlled internet infrastructure, learns about networking and hardware, and participates in community outreach.

Work done with Philly Wisper at the new Forman Arts Initiative campus on American St! PCW installed two access points, providing our free Wi-Fi to sites around the building and helping improve connectivity at The Open Kitchen Sculpture Garden🏡

Thanks to all our volunteers for helping us improve connectivity around Norris Square Neighborhood Project for the staff! We went over some install fundamentals, explored networking improvements, and ran cable from the main floor to provide great speeds in NSNP’s second floor computer room!

Not only do we work hard… but we play hard as well! Shout out to all PCW volunteers and staff who came out for our social hour at Tufas Boulder Lounge to do some climbing and play some competitive ping pong, along with everyone who joined us the next day for our latest Saturday Session at PCW HQ.

In March, PCW installed at @nkcdc.bsky.social ‘s newest community center in Kensington with Philly Wisper. Then we provided indoor service to the local news organization @kensingtonvoice.bsky.social . We’re grateful to be able to support the work of these two dedicated organizations!🛜

Thank you to all our volunteers who came out last Saturday for our install at West Kensington Ministries! We ran cable to set up two access points and a switch, providing service to the main meeting area of the church.

Emerson’s research and work are central to reimagining the future of different networks, including the Internet.

PCW had a great time last Friday at Temple University’s Electronics Faire! We tabled alongside some great community orgs and listened to @loriemerson.net ‘s keynote presentation on alternative and forgotten “other” networks.

Sherry’s Diner has recently changed ownership and updated their menu, so go check them out 🥘!

Sherry’s Diner has recently changed ownership and updated their menu, so go check them out!

Spot the antenna!

Did some work with the Philly Wisper crew while they provided Internet service to Sherry’s Diner on Kensington Ave. The Philly Community Wireless network is now located at 7 locations along the Kensington corridor!

Meshtastic uses small radios to send signals, and these radios connect to each other to form a “mesh” network of devices without using the internet or phone lines. We’ll start off by working with individual nodes, break for lunch, and then we’ll focus on router algorithms and outdoor router nodes.