DjurslandS.net is a project with the purpose of strengthening the IT infrastructure of Djursland, a low-populated region in Denmark that is in severe danger of de-urbanization due to a general decrease in infrastructure. By supplying affordable high-speed internet access to all of the residents of the region, we hope to avoid collective social regression. 25 per cent of the 36,000 households in the region (populated by more than 82,000 people) are not able to obtain regular DSL or similar commercial Internet access because the physical distances make it unattractive for telecom providers to extend their coverage to these remote locations. 3,500 residents signed up as members for an immediate connection, and a board was formed to represent the membership. They contacted every Danish internet provider in turn to establish the necessary connections for whatever media they would be able to offer.

More than 30 different telecom providers were contacted without success. No matter what they offered, their solutions were unaffordable. It became obvious that there was no existing commercial solution for Djursland. Every kind of technology was explored, but only wireless was found to be a possible affordable solution; fiber or copper would be to expensive.

DjurslandS.net members formed self-help groups in every village on Djursland, organized by eight local boards, one for each municipality on Djursland.

Each local board appointed a coordinator for the establishment and “DRIFT” administration of each of the areas: Net, Web portal and the “Boevl” support workshops. Each board has two representatives at DjurslandS.net, so the regional board consists solely of epresentatives from each local net area (16 persons in total). Their task is to ensure the coordination of the development of the Net, the Web and the “Boevl” support workshops across the local municipalities. A team of 12 to 14 people, all of whom are disabled and/or supported financially by other sources, are now employed in the coordination centre to maintain the daily administration of the net and organize central purchasing and distribution.

Anybody can become a member of DjurslandS.net; it is open to all residents. After all, everyone should have an opportunity to influence the development of their region's IT society. Members who choose to be connected to the net sign an agreement and pay an initial fee of EUR 265 to cover the cost of the hardware they require and a contribution to the infrastructure overheads. A subscription of EUR 13.50 is collected every month to cover online costs and net administration.

Several hundred volunteers work at village level to set up the net; a mix of local IT specialists, technicians, craftsmen and others with a non-IT background. Each municipality has its own board and rules of conduct within the framework of the regional organization. Typically 10-15 persons per municipality are involved in the organization at this level.

More than 1,200 households are online in more than 60 areas of coverage at the time of submitting our project to this contest. A potential 16,000 will be online within a few years.