General

Copowi stands for Community Powered Internet.

It is an alternative way of accessing the Internet, more in line with how the Internet is actually developing.

We also believe it is the best way to keep the Internet affordable, open and fair, and to allay the real concerns highlighted by the net neutrality debate. 

In a sense, Copowi is the next-generation Internet Access Provider (as opposed to the profit-focused corporate approach) with the following distinguishing characteristics:

• A guaranteed commitment to keeping the Internet open and fair.
• Based on social enterprise model where the focus is on delivering the best products and services with all profits returning back into the community.
• Open, meaning that all materials, systems and software we develop will be available to others under a  public license.

We have partnered with the some of the leading wholesale providers in the country to deliver a world class Internet service.

Read why COPOWI provides the optimum solution to the net neutrality problem.

Static IP's are available at $2.00 per month per IP as an optional add-on with some packages. If there is no static IP add-on with the package you are ordering then static IP(s) are not available with that package.

To find out if static IP(s) are available simply complete an availability check and then click on the "details & ordering" button.

As an Internet Service Provider we have control over how our customers access the Internet. We can, as a result, guarantee that we will not exercise this control in a way which contravenes the notion of an open and fair Internet.

We also encourage our subscribers to use our Secure Surfing option not only as a way of protesting against the move by network operators to create a tiered Internet (and in the process destroying the notion of net neutrality), but also as a practical way to prevent such an action. 

No. Copowi currently bundles products based on the wholesale products of existing network operators.

Social enterprise is a means by which people come together and use market-based ventures to achieve agreed social ends. It is characterized by creativity, entrepreneurship, and a focus on community rather than individual profit. It is a creative endeavor that results in social, financial, service, educational, employment, or other community benefits.

It is also a  recognition that the profit motive, whilst applicable in some areas, is not appropriate in the delivery of vital services.

Take, for example, the conflict of interest that arises when a medical practice also runs a medical testing laboratory. There are documented cases of doctors being pressured to refer clients to such laboratories for what proved to be needless tests. If it can happen in the medical field, it can happen anywhere.

The ISP, driven by the profit motive, is sorely tempted to direct traffic to its own services and to manage content to suit its profit needs. It can happen, it does happen and, despite any regulation, it will continue to happen. This sort of conflict of interest is unacceptable here, as it is in the medical sphere.

A social enterprise, on the other hand, is not driven by the profit motive; it is there simply to deliver a service or product as cheaply and efficiently as possible. The bulk of the work is often done by a community of volunteers so that the running costs are extremely low. Without huge overheads it makes it a very lean, competitive and effective way of organizing.  

We have no CEOs or Vice Presidents but we do have affiliate partners and senior partners. Our aim is to have a very flat structure where key responsibilities are widely shared amongs partners. Our structure is modelled on the open source software initiative which has delivered, and continues to deliver, some of the world's best software for free.

Key senior partners include:

George Matafonov 
George is a mathematician, database architect, author and social researcher. He has extensive experience in designing secure databases and has run his own successful business for over 15 years. He is a founding partner of Copowi. He is also currently running the www.moralcompass.org project.

Chris Ellis 
Chris is a network engineer by training but has since branched out into business consulting focusing on small to medium business sector. Chris has extensive experience in helping businesses make the transition to the online world and is well suited to guiding Copowi to success.

Both George and Chris passionately believe that the Internet must not be allowed to become a closed medium like print, radio and TV.

We believe the Internet has grown and prospered primarily because of the freedom and opportunity it provided for people to collaborate and cooperate for the common good.

Wherever possible we utilize materials, software and systems which are made available under public license. We will provide works to others under the same licences.

   * Any software released will be under the Affero General Public License (AGPL) or, if required by the original copyright holder, under the GNU General Public License.

    * All content produced, including ISP management systems is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.