Communications technology and community research in the community network planning process: A case study of the Lower Rio Grande Valley

Many communities view improved telecommunications infrastructure as a means towards economic growth and development. Community networks offer one way to enhance this infrastructure and offer additional economic potential for the community by creating social capital, facilitating the exchange of knowledge, uniting community leaders and organizations, and aggregating resources. Technology and society are inter-related, and understanding this relationship allows the most effective use and management of technology in an increasingly information-oriented society.;This dissertation uses a case study approach to examine the process of planning a community network. From June to December 2001, I was part of a multi-disciplinary research team commissioned to develop a community network implementation plan for the communities of Harlingen and Brownsville in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of southern Texas. The team used multiple research activities to obtain data about community characteristics, the needs of local residents, and of the likely technological environment of the near future.;This dissertation begins with an investigation into the American community and how it is changing. It discusses the arrival of the Information Age and explores the specific relationship between technology and social change, emphasizing the need for changing management perspectives that focus on the timely exchange of information. The dissertation then describes the research methods used in the project for the Lower Rio Grande Valley and justifies the selection of these methods. Further case study analysis describes the process of using community research data to develop the optimal community network implementation plan. Finally, the implications and limitations of this research are discussed, with a particular emphasis on recommendations for future community network planning efforts.