APNIC Foundation Dec 2024 – Dec 2025
Manipur Community Access Network
Rebuilding lives through internet resilience in conflict-affected zones with the world's longest internet shutdowns — Churachandpur District, Manipur.
Internet as a Lifeline in Conflict & Shutdown
The Manipur CAN (Community Access Network) project was designed to address one of the most severe access crises in recent memory — a combination of prolonged ethnic conflict and the world's longest internet shutdown, affecting communities in Churachandpur District.
Launched in December 2024 by the Council for Social & Digital Development (CSDD) with support from the APNIC Foundation, it established two working community networks serving hundreds of households, youth, women, and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
"Months of ethnic conflict and the world's longest internet shutdown left Manipur's vulnerable communities unable to access healthcare information, government services, education, or economic opportunities. Internet was not a luxury — it was a lifeline."
— Manipur CAN Project Report, CSDDWhat the Project Set Out to Solve
The 2023–2025 ethnic conflict in Manipur created a compounding crisis of displacement, economic collapse, and communication blackout. Churachandpur District — home to the Kuki-Zo tribal communities — bore the heaviest burden.
Internet Shutdown
Manipur experienced the world's longest internet shutdown in 2023, continuing in waves through 2024 and into late 2025, severing critical communication for months.
Mass Displacement
Large numbers of IDPs in relief camps were cut off from government services, welfare entitlements, and humanitarian aid due to lack of connectivity.
Affordability & Access Gap
Economic hardship from conflict worsened affordability. With livelihoods shattered, communities could not sustain commercial internet subscriptions.
Education Backlog
Students faced severe learning disruptions. School closures and lack of digital resources created long-term educational setbacks for children in the conflict zone.
Trust Erosion
Repeated shutdowns eroded community trust in the internet. Rebuilding confidence in digital access and its responsible use was a core project objective.
Geographic Isolation
Physical movement is restricted by ethnic borders, making internet the only viable channel for governance, services, and communication for these communities.
How the Networks Were Built
Bungmual Village Network
- Fixed leased-line broadband as central hub at SSPP campus
- Directional antennas extending signal across a 4.5 km radius
- 9 access points including schools and community locations
- 219 households · 893 individuals directly reached
- Partner: SSPP (Siamsinpawlpi) student welfare organisation
- Tech support: Gignet IT Services Pvt Ltd (local ISP)
Charoi Khullen Village Network
- 300 Mbps Airtel backhaul via high-gain Point-to-Point bridge
- 10-node dual-band 802.11ac/s self-healing mesh network
- Receiver at village church — highest line-of-sight point
- 166 households · 529 individuals directly reached
- Village Authority owns and manages the network independently
- Local youth trained in maintenance, troubleshooting & repair
Phase by Phase
Needs Assessment & Consultations
Ground-level engagement with SSPP, local ISP, CBOs, and community leaders to identify access gaps, priority locations, and community readiness.
Network Setup — Bungmual Village
Feasibility study, equipment procurement, leased line installation, antenna deployment, 9 access points. Launch attended by district administration.
Training, Outreach & Awareness
2 networking workshops for 7 youth volunteers. 4 community events and information sessions. 158 families and 412 individuals reached in initial phase.
Mesh Network — Charoi Khullen
10-node mesh deployment at 1,300 m altitude. 5 local youth trained as network custodians. Village Authority formally adopted network ownership.
Scale, Sustainability & Handover
Cooperative membership model adopted. 6 digital safety trainings held (221 participants). Project presented at CNX 2025 and Manipur University international seminar.
Youth & Women at the Centre
A defining feature of the project was its youth-led, gender-inclusive design. Community network management was placed in the hands of local young people — with women in key coordination roles.
The CAN hub in Bungmual is coordinated by a woman, and the overall project is led by a woman team member at CSDD. Nearly 40% of beneficiaries are women.
What the Project Achieved
Resilient Community Networks
Two fully operational network infrastructures serving a combined radius of 4–4.5 km each, in two distinct tribal communities.
Accessible & Affordable Access
Direct beneficiaries across 385 households, focused on IDPs, women, and youth who had no other means of connectivity.
Enhanced Information Access
Indirect beneficiaries reached with critical government information, educational content, and humanitarian resources.
Local Network Cadre
Youth volunteers trained in network management, maintenance, and outreach — ensuring long-term sustainability without external dependency.
Trust in Internet Rebuilt
Participants in 6 safety, privacy, and misinformation trainings — rebuilding community confidence in responsible internet use.
Model for Conflict Zones
First-of-its-kind community network in an active conflict zone in India — a replicable blueprint for Northeast India and beyond.
Stories from the Ground
Recommendations for the Field
The Manipur CAN project generated critical insights for organisations working at the intersection of connectivity, conflict, and humanitarianism.
- Internet access is humanitarian aid. Connectivity in conflict zones must be treated on par with food, shelter, and medical aid in relief and rehabilitation frameworks.
- Preemptive conflict access planning is possible. Mapping conflict-prone zones and preparing 'Conflict Disaster Access Mitigation Plans' can prevent communities from being left in information darkness.
- Local ISPs and community bodies are essential. Collaboration with local service providers, village authorities, and youth organisations is key to trust, reliability, and long-term sustainability.
- Women and youth must lead. The most trusted community network managers in this project were young women and youth volunteers embedded in local social networks.
- Connectivity promotes peace. Digital access, when coupled with responsible use training, can reduce online hatred, build coexistence, and support peacebuilding in fractured communities.
Read the Full Project Report
The complete Manipur CAN Final Report covers all deliverables, technical design, monitoring & evaluation findings, gender inclusion data, and sustainability planning.