History of OpenWISP
From bridging the digital divide to building a versatile network management solution.
2008
The Birth of WiFi Metropolitano in Rome
In the summer of 2008, the Metropolitan City of Rome embarked on an ambitious mission to bridge the digital divide by providing free public Wi-Fi across its expansive territory, encompassing Rome and 120 other cities, serving approximately 4.5 million inhabitants.
The project, initially known as ProvinciaWiFi and later renamed WiFi Metropolitano, aimed to democratize access to ICT for all citizens.
Embracing Openness
From its inception, WiFi Metropolitano embraced an open philosophy, advocating for open software, operating systems, and knowledge sharing. Collaborating with the university consortium CASPUR, later acquired by CINECA, the project pursued innovative methodologies for network distribution, enabling the utilization of non-dedicated network infrastructures for public connectivity services.
2009
Adoption by other Italian municipalities
Throughout 2009, OpenWISP played a pivotal role in the expansion of ProvinciaWiFi, transforming it into a network boasting thousands of active hotspots and users daily.
The success of the collaboration between the Province of Rome and CASPUR paved the way for adoption by municipalities and universities across Italy.
2012
Wide adoption in Italy
By 2012, OpenWISP had expanded its role in public WiFi management, utilizing OpenWISP to help create FreeItaliaWiFi, a national federation of public administrations. This initiative enabled citizens to use the same credentials to access WiFi networks across Italy. CINECA managed around 2,500 WiFi access points, serving more than 300,000 users across 20 public administrations.
2015
Pivot to OpenWrt Network Management
In 2015, we initiated the redesign of OpenWISP to address limitations in scalability, flexibility, and adaptability that emerged as network management needs evolved. The original system, while effective for public Wi-Fi and Hotspots, needed to grow to support a wider range of use cases and network infrastructures. This reinvention was driven by the need for a more modular and extensible platform, capable of managing diverse and large-scale networks. Over the course of a few years, this effort resulted in a robust, future-proof system that powers networks across the globe today.
2017
Google Summer of Code
In 2017, OpenWISP began participating in the Google Summer of Code (GSoC), motivated by a desire to foster innovation through open-source contributions and to engage with the global community of young developers. The program allowed OpenWISP to attract talented students from around the world, empowering them to contribute to network management technologies while gaining real-world coding experience. Over the years, OpenWISP has successfully mentored more than 20 successful GSoC projects, significantly enhancing its features and strengthening the project's foundation through the contributions of its participants.
2020
OpenWISP: A Global Endeavor
By 2020, OpenWISP had evolved into a comprehensive Network Management System, addressing the shortcomings of its predecessor and catering to a global audience. With a focus on reusability, modularity, and extensibility, OpenWISP became a beacon for developers and engineers worldwide, fostering community contributions and facilitating internet expansion in emerging countries.
Today
Embracing the Future
Today, OpenWISP continues to evolve, empowering communities and organizations to build robust, accessible networks that transcend geographical boundaries. With its commitment to openness, innovation, and inclusivity, OpenWISP remains at the forefront of connectivity, driving positive change in the digital landscape.
In the future, we plan to enhance ease of use, expand OpenWISP's capabilities to manage any networking operating system built on Unix or Linux, and increase support for standard networking protocols.