I'm thinking about what a Local Internet looks like. Can we build a setup, local servers, local webdevs, local helpdesk. Get local businesses to pay us to make local pages. Organize local delivery drivers. What if we didn't scale?
Could we make it work? How big a city do we need?
@silverwizard
Great idea! And you are not alone.
It is being done. No need to think about it so much, just do it.
There might already be a network in your area, all you need to participate might be a (reasonably) affordable LoRa radio. Take a look at #reticulum.
Apart from reticulum as a complete departure from traditional internet, all the #fediverse tech will "work" in isolation, there is no need for "internet".
humble advice:
Possible stumbling point in my experience is thinking in terms of "Internet". Don't compare or try to replicate.
Size does not matter. >1 is a "network". so it does not need to scale, but it does need a purpose. It might be good to pre define WHAT it is and WHY it exists, then you can hopefully attract like minded participants and avoid those who may damage the project.
Beyond initial outlay, fibre rollout is maybe not as costly as might be imagined. Running the fibre optic cable might be an issue in your locality however, but maybe worth looking into.
@silverwizard
Hehe.. one thing about fediverse is you don't always see the entire thread on an instance, so one should always read the original page before replying! (Note to self.)
So, reticulum was already mentioned. Good.
And a few people talking about payment gateways and infra and DNS/CA. If commerce is a raison d'etre then harder to see the point in doing it, again.. why replicate?
I'd avoid #DNS like the plague in any new network. Somebody already had the terrible idea to start assignment of names on reticulum.
After reading the thread, just wanted to add that being aware that it is not only about the physical layer and the network stack is obviously important. (you point to this in the original post, I believe.)
Ultimately it comes down to having enough interest locally to have the so-callled "human resources" to make it work, and thrive. you might be able to do this with a capitalist model, but I doubt it. Not as long as the other internet exists anyway.
@silverwizard
People on the thread might get something from this talk:
https://tv.lumbung.space/w/nzuB248U2LQA1LCn7vYmER