For many people around the world, the Internet acts as a doorway to a host of opportunities. From accessing information, sharing knowledge, creating and penetrating markets as well as opening communication channels, the Internet is a collective resource with the power to transform lives, empower communities and lift societies. However, access to these opportunities is often left only for those who can afford it. Governments and ISPs hold the key to this door and ultimately to the opportunities that opening it provides. For many of the world's poor, too many restrictions exist such that access to the Internet and it's opportunities remain out of reach.
In Indonesia there is a movement going on unlike any other in the world. It is a movement intended to remove these restrictions and to open access to the Internet up to everyone. It is a bottom-up revolution based upon simple solutions, openness, and empowering the most marginalized groups. It is a model that requires an intimate knowledge of a context, where appropriate solutions are the only ones that matter. In many ways the simplicity and appropriateness of this model are similar to other approaches to development, often found in agriculture (Polak 2008). However, with a growing desire for everyone to be apart of this technology movement, there is a much more infectious and visceral feel to this grassroots movement in Indonesia. This paper tells the story about how this model came about, by sharing tools, readying the environment and empowering Indonesians, so that together they can continue to open the door for themselves and set an example for others to follow