Autonomy
An experimental mesh network in a historic zone of sacrifice.

The spaces of globalization are not merely global abstractions; they are concrete spatial productions affecting life in specific localities. In an increasingly interconnected world, some sites are left to disrepair while others benefit from emerging social formations. Situated in this contact zone—where digital infrastructures inherit the physical and socio-political legacies of past networks—is Autonomy, a village-scale decentralized mesh network in Ohio's rural Appalachian region. Designed as counter-infrastructure to sustain soft infrastructures of connection and resist extractive logics.

Once the backbone of urban industrial growth, Appalachian company towns and zones of sacrifice functioned as both, resource frontiers and dumping grounds, peripheral to centers of power. In the first mining boom of the 20th century, labor and minerals were the initial sites of dispossession in southeast Ohio, where crucibles ignited the Central Appalachian region’s labor and civil rights movements. Now, a contemporary wave of technological extraction proves a test ground for SpaceX Starlink satellites, data farms, and cryptocurrency mines. Even regional councils admit that paying fines is a cheaper alternative to deploying essential infrastructure.

What forms of trust can emerge between users and interfaces in areas erased from the technological question? In this context, a locally embedded wireless network emerges as a novel alternative. This project asks—how does virtual selfhood and counter-practices in autonomy mediate agency and détournement beyond identity and selfhood, particularly for those excluded from digital infrastructure?

Autonomy operates as a collective effort and is actively shaped and sustained by its users. When users join the network, they commit to extending it to others. We utilize ‘mesh’ networking technology that rely on a series of network nodes, which collaborate. And we are working to establish a free, resilient infrastructure that will surpass the speed and reliability of corporate internet service providers.