The Common Room

What The Common Room does

Common Room Networks Foundation (operating as The Common Room) is an Indonesian non-profit foundation headquartered in Bandung, established in 2005. The organization develops and operates community-managed digital infrastructure and technology programs targeting underserved and remote populations across Indonesia. Its core offering is Sekolah Internet Komunitas (SIK), launched in October 2021 in partnership with APC and FCDO at Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, which provides community-owned and locally operated internet access networks across 11 regions — from Pulo Aceh in the west to Taliabu in the east, including Mentawai, West Java, Bali, Sulawesi, and North Maluku. Adjacent programs include the annual Rural ICT Camp (initiated 2020, an international knowledge-sharing forum) and Co_LABS, a climate-resilience initiative that integrates IoT sensors (ESP32 microcontrollers, LoRa communication, solar power) with the Prophet forecasting model to monitor microclimate and seawater quality in coastal and fisheries communities such as Pulo Aceh and Maros District.

Underlying technology centers on community-deployed connectivity infrastructure, low-cost IoT hardware for environmental monitoring (pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, water level), and automated systems including smart irrigation deployed at four SIK locations. The organization also produces educational publications — including IoT and AI literacy guides, an ISBN-registered technical manual on seawater monitoring, and a children's science book series — distributed under Creative Commons and copyright frameworks.

The business model is grant-funded and non-commercial: programs and services are delivered to communities at no cost, while operating revenue is sourced from international development organizations (FCDO, GIZ, APC, Fair Forward, Wikimedia), government partners (Bappenas), and institutional collaborators (BRI Research Institute, Bina Swadaya). End-user segments span rural and remote communities, indigenous groups (e.g., Kasepuhan Ciptagelar), coastal/fishing communities, educational institutions (e.g., BLK Don Bosco), and rural MSMEs including women's entrepreneurship groups. Go-to-market is community-led: capacity building and local network governance replace conventional sales channels, and knowledge products are distributed via open-access publications and events.

Name

The Common Room

Legal name

Common Room Networks Foundation

Website

https://commonroom.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Common Room Networks Foundation is an Indonesian non-profit that builds and operates community-managed internet networks across 11 regions of Indonesia and deploys IoT/AI systems for climate resilience, digital literacy, and rural economic empowerment, funded by international development grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Digital Inclusion Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local & Neighborhood Communities (BPAMABAG), Community Hosting & Membership Platforms (MPACAJAF)

Keywords

• Community internet networks
• Digital inclusion programs
• IoT environmental monitoring
• Community digital literacy
• Climate resilience technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Bandung

HQ country

Indonesia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Common Room operates as a non-profit foundation supported by international development organizations and government agencies for program implementation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Common Room Networks Foundation is a non-profit organization that develops and operates community-managed internet network programs (Sekolah Internet Komunitas / SIK) across 11 regions in Indonesia, providing digital literacy training, technology capacity building, and IoT-based climate resilience solutions (Co_LABS) to underserved rural, coastal, and indigenous communities. Its offerings combine community-owned connectivity infrastructure, IoT environmental monitoring systems, AI-enabled predictive analytics, and participatory data collection to address digital divide, climate vulnerability, and economic marginalization.

Product overview

Common Room Networks Foundation operates as a non-profit organization offering community-focused technology programs and educational publications. The core offerings include Sekolah Internet Komunitas (SIK) - community internet schools providing managed internet access and digital skills training across 11+ Indonesian regions; Rural ICT Camp - an annual international knowledge-sharing forum; Co_LABS - climate resilience innovation labs using IoT and AI; Smart Irrigation Systems - IoT-based agricultural solutions; and the Participatory Data Collection Project - a community data management platform. The organization also publishes educational books on IoT, AI, and environmental monitoring. These programs work together to address digital inequality, strengthen community capacity, and support climate resilience through technology empowerment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sekolah Internet Komunitas (SIK) / Community Internet School

Quantifiable outcome

• Internet connectivity provided to previously unserved communities
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• APC (Association for Progressive Communications)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2021Partnership for launching Sekolah Internet Komunitas (SIK) program at Kasepuhan Ciptagelar, West Java in October 2021
• Insan InfonesiamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of Co_LABS (Community-based Innovation Lab for Climate Resilience) project
• Fair ForwardmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Co_LABS project for climate resilience IoT applications
• Kementerian PPN/Bappenas RImajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner for Co_LABS climate resilience project
• Bina Swadaya KonsultanmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTraining partner for Rural ICT Camp 2025, providing micro social entrepreneurship workshops
• Bina Trubus SwadayamajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner for social enterprise development training at Rural ICT Camp 2025
• BRI Research InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for digital MSME empowerment program for women
• WikimediaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on AI ethics and transparency discussion at Rural ICT Camp 2025

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Wikimedia Foundation:
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): German federal development agency funding international digital inclusion and climate programs; a direct funding partner of Common Room and a peer ecosystem player supporting similar rural community-network initiatives globally.
• Fair Forward: GIZ-led initiative promoting equitable AI and data ecosystems in the Global South; a confirmed co-development partner of Common Room's Co_LABS and a peer in the AI-for-development funding ecosystem.

Emerging players

• TunapandaNET: Kenya-based nonprofit combining community internet, digital skills training, and IoT for development — overlaps with Common Room on training-and-connectivity model, but operating in East Africa rather than Southeast Asia.

Direct peers

• Rhizomatica: Mexico-based nonprofit operating community cellular telephone networks in indigenous and rural areas — comparable mission of community-owned telecom infrastructure with strong local governance.
• Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF): India-based nonprofit deploying community internet and digital literacy in rural areas — operates the Wireless Community Networks model that closely mirrors Common Room's Sekolah Internet Komunitas approach.
• AirJaldi: Indian social enterprise providing community-owned wireless internet networks across rural regions; directly comparable business model of operating community-managed connectivity infrastructure in underserved geographies.
• Association for Progressive Communications (APC): Global civil society network focused on digital rights, community connectivity, and internet governance; directly partners with Common Room on Sekolah Internet Komunitas and shares the same community-network mission.
• Altermundi: Argentine cooperative building community wireless mesh networks across Latin America — directly comparable technology-and-governance model of community-owned internet infrastructure.
• Internet Society (ISOC): International nonprofit promoting open internet development and community networks globally through funding, training, and policy advocacy — directly analogous mission to Common Room's rural digital-inclusion work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CommonRoom_ID
• Facebookfacebook.com/commonroom.id
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/common-room-networks-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/commonroom_id

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Common Room