Starting Your Own ISP

The cluster focuses on discussions about the idea of individuals or communities starting their own local Internet Service Providers (ISPs), including feasibility, costs, technical challenges like upstream connections, and real-world examples from rural or underserved areas.

📉 Falling 0.5x Startups & Business
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5
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#2661
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Keywords

US p.s SF www.eff NOC arstechnica.com HN CenturyLink WRT AP isp internet telco wireless isps setup network service ap neighbors

Sample Comments

sidewndr46 Feb 9, 2023 View on HN

It's no different than trying to start a local ISP anywhere.

Neliquat May 8, 2017 View on HN

I live in an area with one ISP. What do I do? Please do not tell me to 'start my own'.

pabs3 Feb 10, 2021 View on HN

Sounds like he should start his own ISP. There was a great HN post a while back about someone in rural America that did that.

bpbp-mango Nov 23, 2025 View on HN

I'd start my own ISP for the area

BigParm Aug 15, 2024 View on HN

How much does it cost to have an ISP let you do that? What are the barriers generally?

rayiner Feb 25, 2013 View on HN

Start your own ISP and make it a dumb pipe.

doggydogs94 Nov 9, 2017 View on HN

Sounds like a good business opportunity for you, setting up your own ISP. Go for it.

strictnein Nov 22, 2017 View on HN

Become an ISPhttps://hackaday.com/2017/11/18/becoming-your-own-isp-just-f...

notRobot Aug 10, 2022 View on HN

There's "Start Your Own ISP":https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=true&que...

analog31 Jan 13, 2018 View on HN

Ask HN: If I wanted to create a very small cooperative ISP for my family and a handful of neighbors, it doesn't seem like rocket science, except...At some point it has to connect to the Internet, meaning I have to buy some sort of connection. How's that work?