9.9 And So On

As I write this, we have just finished our third international "Community Wireless Summit," which brought almost 200 people to Santa Clara (the second happened in Seattle and had nearly the same attendance). NoCat now hosts two mailing lists that reach nearly 1,000 people. The NoCat network (http://nocat.net/) has grown to more than 20 active nodes (including two 11.5 mile hops), extending the reach of broadband access well beyond the "DSL divide."

With cooperative effort and wireless technology, the Internet is rapidly becoming more and more pervasive. My direct experience with people working on this project has turned up an important common thread: free access to information is in constant demand, and barriers to that access cause pain. I believe that working to provide free and unrestricted access to local networks (and ultimately, the Internet) is a benefit not only to one's local community, but to the world at large. I hope that this book has helped you to realize your goals and has helped you become more connected to your local community.