Cloudflare Launches Project Pangea to Help Underserved Communities Expand Access to the Internet, For Free

By Editor On Jul 26, 2021

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SAN FRANCISCO – (BUSINESS WIRE) – Cloudflare, Inc. (NYSE: NET), the security, performance, and reliability company that helps build a better Internet, today announced a new initiative to improve Internet access for underserved communities around the world. Through Project Pangea, eligible local communities can use Cloudflare’s performance and security services – for free – to connect more reliably and securely to the global internet without paying the high cost of bandwidth. By providing its security and network services, Cloudflare helps local groups or nonprofits building their own telecommunications infrastructure find a free and sustainable way to connect people who are responsible for everything from communication to education to economic development rely on the internet.

Almost half of the world’s population does not have access to the Internet, and many more are restricted to poor, expensive, and unreliable connections. Many communities rely on nonprofit organizations or form local groups to build their own networks by installing WiFi antennas or laying fiber optic cables. This way you can build a network in a city that connects households and businesses, but it remains very expensive to connect that network to the Internet. Bandwidth is either unavailable or unaffordable because existing providers do not have the economies of scale to deliver it or because regional policies and regulations favor urban markets. The problem is not limited to developing countries and exists all over the world. In the US, for example, 21 million people do not have high-speed connections despite high levels of public investment and private infrastructure. Now, Cloudflare gives communities the opportunity to get the internet experience they deserve – powerful, reliable and secure.

“Safe, reliable, and sustainable internet access is a fundamental human right,” said Matthew Prince, Co-Founder and CEO of Cloudflare. “Unfortunately, many communities build their own infrastructure only to be blocked by high bandwidth costs. We want to help where we can – if you have already built the connecting roads, we want to offer our network as a safe and accessible highway to the global Internet. ”

Cloudflare’s global network spans more than 200 cities in over 100 countries and is connected to over 9,500 networks worldwide, including major ISPs, cloud services and corporations. In this way, Cloudflare provides a safe and inexpensive way to expand access to the Internet that can grow with and contribute to the sustainability of these networks, as well as being ready for new networks that are introduced. To participate in this initiative, network organizers can visit the Project Pangea website to review technical requirements and register interest.

With Project Pangea, community network organizers can:

Find a Free Internet Ramp: Eligible communities can sign up for Project Pangea for free, reliable, high quality connectivity without being left behind or overwhelmed by traditional ISPs.
Operate secure and high-performance networks for everyone: Project Pangea not only offers connectivity for communities, but also Cloudflare’s security tools to make networks resistant to cyber attacks. With access to Cloudflare Network Interconnect, Magic Transit and Magic Firewall, networks can stay online and protect users while providing them with a fast internet experience.
Use the global infrastructure of Cloudflare: The global network of Cloudflare comprises more than 200 cities in over 100 countries and is connected to over 9,500 networks worldwide. This makes it one of the most accessible networks in the world, allowing communities to connect to the closest data center, resulting in a faster and more stable connection.

Participant in the Pangea project

“As a community-owned wireless ISP based in rural South Africa, we are committed to digital justice and a truly affordable Internet,” said Sol Luca de Tena, acting chief executive officer of Zenzeleni Networks NPC. “To do this, we are working with a number of partners to turn community networks into mechanisms for positive change. With Cloudflare’s Project Pangea, we see an opportunity to further improve the ways in which communities can get affordable and secure connectivity to the Internet . ”

“HUBS is a cooperation of community networks in Scotland with the aim of enabling reliable, fast internet through affordable technical solutions. By connecting rural areas with Internet infrastructure and services, we can provide people in these communities with Internet access and representation, ”said Gordon Hughes, Executive Director of HUBS CIC. “Cloudflare’s Project Pangea will make it easy for networks to be affordable and reliable for the community while feeling like they’re safe and secure.”

“As a group of activists for free community networks in Argentina, AlterMundi strives to solve connectivity problems in segments of the population that are neglected by the market,” said Nicolás Echániz, founder of AlterMundi. “Low cost and high performance are necessary for networks to thrive in their communities – and that’s one of the reasons we are fascinated by the potential of Project Pangea to bridge the connectivity gap that many areas face.”

“As the largest community network in the US working with New Yorkers to bridge the digital divide, NYC Mesh looks forward to working with Cloudflare to better serve the communities we connect,” said Zachary Giles. Volunteer Network Admin at NYC Mesh.

“At guifi.net we welcome the contribution of a leading company like Cloudflare to the ecosystem of community networks. Project Pangea addresses the recurring blocking factor of Internet access in a meaningful way (free for the little ones, paid for the big ones) from a privileged position,” said Ramon Roca, President of the Guifi.net Foundation. “We are therefore convinced that this project can become a milestone in the history of community networks.”

Industry support

“Communities need connectivity to thrive and connect to schools, jobs, opportunities, and each other,” said Jane R. Coffin, senior vice president of Internet Growth for Internet Society, a global nonprofit that drives development and consumption. of the internet. “We’ve been working with partners around the world since 2010 to scale community networks and empower the people who need the internet to build it. For this reason, we are excited to see how Cloudflare’s Project Pangea can help make these networks safer and more efficient – and ultimately contribute to a more open, globally connected and safer Internet. ”

“Access to the Internet is a basic requirement of life, and trustworthy and secure Internet services are an important pillar of digital trust,” said Daniel Dobrygowski, Head of Governance and Trust at the World Economic Forum. “From our work on the Internet for All initiative to the new Edison Alliance, the World Economic Forum has expanded access to the Internet and advanced global collaboration on public goods, cybersecurity, digital trust, and responsible technology leadership. We welcome Cloudflare’s Pangea project as a valued contribution to a more equitable, accessible and trustworthy global Internet. ”

“Access to the Internet should be open, accessible and affordable for everyone. Mozilla has long been committed to helping communities around the world, especially in rural areas, get people online, ”said Alice Munyua, director Africa Mradi, Mozilla. “Today, we are excited to introduce Cloudflare’s Project Pangea for the approach it is taking to helping communities benefit from more affordable access to the global Internet backbone.”

“At the Association for Progressive Communications, our focus is on creating a conducive environment for community networking and supporting those who are disconnected and want to connect to themselves,” said Carlos Rey-Moreno, co-lead of Local Networks Initiative at APC. “One of the challenges facing the community networking movement is the high cost of having safe and reliable internet – an obstacle that we believe Cloudflare is well positioned to help overcome.”

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About Cloudflare

Cloudflare, Inc. (www.cloudflare.com / @cloudflare) is committed to helping build a better internet. Cloudflare’s suite of products protects and speeds up any internet application online without adding hardware, installing software or changing a line of code. With internet properties operated by Cloudflare, all web traffic is routed through its intelligent global network, which gets smarter with every request. As a result, they see a significant improvement in performance and a decrease in spam and other attacks. Cloudflare was included in Entrepreneur Magazine’s list of Top Company Cultures 2018 and was voted one of the most innovative companies in the world by Fast Company 2019. Cloudflare is headquartered in San Francisco, California and has offices in Austin, TX, Champaign, IL, New York, NY, San Jose, CA, Seattle, WA, Washington, DC, Toronto, Lisbon, London, Munich, Paris, Beijing, Singapore, Sydney and Tokyo.

© 2021 Cloudflare, Inc. All rights reserved. Cloudflare, the Cloudflare logo, and Project Pangea are trademarks and / or registered trademarks of Cloudflare, Inc. in the US and other jurisdictions. All other brands and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

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