Philly Community Wireless

Beyond North Philly, we support other local mesh organizations! With PhillyWisper, our team installed a Meshtastic node atop South Philly's Bok Building, expanding the @phillymesh.net network. This high-elevation milestone improves the range of coverage and extends across Greater Philly and into NJ.

We are still taking applications for our Development and Communications Manager position! Interested in building relations with stakeholders, staff, and Philadelphia residents? Join our team and help us build internet access to different areas of the city. Application link up in our linktree!

We’re hiring! Join the PCW team as our Development and Communications Manager - leading development strategies, managing communications+marketing, and supporting community engagement with stakeholders. Priority given to applicants who submit by Oct 15, 2026. Visit our job posting - link in our bio!

With PhillyWisper and The Lighthouse 1983, we installed an access point and directional panel to reach much of the Somerset community in North Philadelphia! It’s through on-the-ground work like this installation that we aim to advance our mission to deliver free internet for all Philadelphians.

We might be late on this trend… But it’s not too late to get tickets for our Network Tour Fundraiser this Saturday from 1-3pm! Come out to support our organization.🛜

We’re hiring! Join the PCW team as our Development and Communications Manager - leading development strategies, managing communications+marketing, and supporting community engagement with stakeholders. Priority given to applicants who submit by Oct 15, 2026. Visit our job posting - link in our bio!

Tour Philly’s ONLY community internet network on August 29 from 1-3pm! Our walking tour will give you the inside scoop on how community internet works, who makes it happen, and where PCW is today. Limited spots available - buy your $20 ticket today: www.phillycommunitywireless.org/tour-fundraiser/ 🎟️

Come out for a tour of Philly’s ONLY community internet network on August 29 from 1-3pm! ✨ Our walking tour will give you the inside scoop on how community internet works, who makes it happen, and where PCW is today. Limited spots available - buy your ticket today through our linktree! 🎟️

Since 2020, @alexwermercolan.bsky.social has led our work building community-controlled networks in North Philly. Alex’s dedication has turned PCW from a small, volunteer-led pilot, to a burgeoning organization that serves tens of thousands of Philadelphians with free internet. Thank you Alex!

Big thanks to our partner PhillyWisper, a local, independent ISP, for providing the backhaul infrastructure support for our network. Their ongoing tech support helps us build, and manage our community Wi-Fi network. Learn more about PhillyWisper on their website: www.phillywisper.net

Very cool project

Another install at Philly Bridge and Jawn: a new network link with Vizion Art Gallery is live! PB&J serves Kensington youth with after‑school cooking and education around nutrition, and we hope to continue building our network for their youth. Interested in partnering with PCW? DM us! 📨

Watch our webinar with Technology Learning Collaborative: “Internet Landscapes: Pathways to Expanding Public & Community Internet” — now on YouTube. Learn about our community internet model, resources for action in your own community, and how to get involved with PCW. Link in our Linktree! 📶

Neighbors maintain a free broadband network in Philadelphia — @phillywireless.bsky.social — that now serves 7,600+ users. Read about the six-year project to build community-supported infrastructure in the latest Debates in DH volume from @uminnpress.bsky.social cdh.princeton.edu/blog/2026/06...

From Wermer-Colan, Wythoff, Gomez, & Washington’s Ch 8 (“Alternative Infrastructures for Digital Equity: Community-Based Internet Access”) in Critical Infrastructure Studies & DH, dhdebates.gc.cuny.edu/read/critica... @phillywireless.bsky.social @princetoncdh.bsky.social @uminnpress.bsky.social

Take a look at our work done at The Simple Way, where we built out free Wi-Fi access throughout their building and into the surrounding neighborhood. Interested in finding a simple way to connect to free, community-controlled internet in your org? DM us or email @ info@phillycommunitywireless.org.

How does collaborative mapping support community Wi‑Fi? Street‑level imagery lets us map infrastructure for installs across the city. Through our use of Mapillary and OpenStreetMap @osmus.bsky.social , we’re micromapping areas like Norris Square Park to plan future work in our community.

We went back to Camden to support Camden FireWorks improving their existing internet with an added Wi-Fi network, plus installing indoor/outdoor PurpleAir monitors! Beyond providing no-cost internet, we also support nonprofits with technical consulting. Interested in learning more? DM or email us!

Join us tomorrow from 4-5:30pm for our @phillytechweek.bsky.social event with TLC! Located at Tech Impact's space in City Center, it’s the perfect chance to learn more about how PCW works and meet folks working locally in tech, digital equity, and more. 📩 To register, visit: luma.com/jpnn4cjx

We had a great time tabling at the @tudigitalscholars.bsky.social Electronics Faire along with other local organizations! This year’s theme focused on the technical aspects of repairing electronic media and looking at ways in which technology can contribute to collective, interpersonal repair.📡🛜

In Fairhill, we added a mesh node to boost PCW’s signal in a residence. Mesh nodes help expand the network coverage without adding a LiteBeam, a wireless radio that establishes a source of internet connection at a location. Check out our map in our linktree to see where we’ve used this set up!

Together with Ben Saracco of Rowan University, we helped build out the IDEA Center’s Wi-Fi in Camden! If your organization needs Wi-Fi or other technical support and is interested in our consulting services, reach out to us at info@phillycommunitywireless.org.

Try and spot PCW’s Wi-Fi equipment amongst these frosty photos of Norris Square in the snow ❄️ If you wondered how a fixed wireless network handles snow storms… no problems! PCW maintained our usual high speeds even with the wind, snow, and sleet.

Watch @alexwermercolan.bsky.social speak on how PCW and community broadband initiatives engage residents to help plan, build, and maintain digital infrastructure in their own neighborhoods. Check out the webinar with Benton Institute for Broadband and Society: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDwQ...

Check out the view from Lillian Marrero Library! Maintaining our network is a key part of what we do – even in winter! Community members who use our network can always reach out to us if you notice a change in service 🛜 phillycommunitywireless.org/contact/

Together with Technology Learning Collaborative, we’ve been co-hosting community discussions about internet access and digital resources with groups like Temple Gateway’s Digital Passport Ambassadors. If you work with a local org and want to coordinate community event together, send us a DM! 📬

Upcoming volunteer events! Join us if you’re interested in networking, providing maintenance support to one of the oldest Black churches in Philadelphia, and supporting community members at the Power Up Tech Expo. Want to come out but aren’t a PCW volunteer? DM us and we’ll get you more details!

Even with the cold, we’re still working on making free Wi-Fi available for all! PCW isn’t able to do rooftop installations in this weather, but we’re still doing maintenance, hosting events, and mapping out future network growth. Visit pa211.org for any emergency cold related resources.

Thanks to Emily from Philly Mesh for leading a special workshop on @meshtastic.org , and even donating a solar node setup to PCW so we can keep expanding mesh in Philadelphia! Interested in volunteering with PCW to do community-based networking in North Philly? Sign up via our linktree in our bio!

A successful Saturday install session with our volunteers and staff this past weekend, as we completed some outdoor Wi-Fi installation work at our new install site, First Stop Recovery, then celebrated a successful year of sessions in the neighborhood. Hope to see you all in 2026! 🛜

Start 2026 off right by coming out to our Meshtastic 101 event this Saturday, January 10! A member of @phillymesh.net is hosting a workshop at our HQ, located at Norris Square Neighborhood Project in Norris Square. Lunch included, bring a friend! ✅ RSVP via DM.

Philly Community Wireless is the only free Wi-Fi service in North Philadelphia. We’re raising $3000 to purchase equipment needed to cover the Kensington Ave business corridor with our network. Learn more on the impact your tax-deductible donation has: phillycommunitywireless.allyrafundraising.com

Join us tomorrow at 2pm for Benton Institute’s webinar on Community Broadband Networks as Sites for Learning! Our Executive Director @alexwermercolan.bsky.social will share how PCW makes it possible for community members to contribute to their local digital infrastructure. tinyurl.com/m3bcmxnw

PCW Merch is here! Now you can grab your favorite PCW gear and show your support for community internet. All our items are screen-printed or embroidered locally. Get 15% off your first order with code NEW15 at checkout. See more in our Linktree.

As costs rise, free internet via Philly Community Wireless can save households $180-1,000/year. A $100 device brings PCW Wi‑Fi to hundreds as resident-hosted routers expand the network block by block! Every dollar funds equipment and staff involvement in our organization. Donate via our Linktree! 🎁🤝

PCW doesn’t just install Wi-Fi – we also set up PurpleAir monitors on our network in North Philadelphia! We’ve installed monitors across Norris Square & Fairhill at community orgs and residential homes. Thanks to the EPA Region 3 Sensor Loan Program for supplying us with 10 PurpleAir monitors!

All Philadelphians deserve access to the internet! Make your voice heard and help shape the City of Philadelphia's future planning and investments in internet access. Individuals, orgs, and businesses can take the city’s 2025 internet survey here: tinyurl.com/Philadelphia...

Install work at HACE CDC’s Somerset Villas has begun! Our team will be working this Fall to provide PCW Wi-Fi throughout the entire building and surrounding area. Thank you to HACE and AARP for the opportunity to expand our services and bring more internet access to Philadelphians in Fairhill.

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