Apply this to the internet and essentials are FOSS. Linux, DNS and maybe RISCV someday will mean you can build computers and internet on essentials that are free to learn and use.
Nothing against Bind9, but it is almost exclusively maintained by the ISC, so the DNS's future used to depend heavily on the ISC getting the funding needed to continue operating.
When I was in Holland many years ago there was a university initiative to connect the whole town with it's own hobby network. I bought some directed antennae to connect, and it worked, but I seem to recall it was line-of-sight WiFi stuff and thus very limited range.
I also worked for an airline that had line-of-sight laser communications, but again it was only short distances.
Are there any modern alternatives that would make such a people sponsored/focused hobby network possible?
The first thought I had was long-wave radio, but I cant imagine there is much bandwidth there, but might be okay for a text only protocols?
This is surprising. I would have expected them to have custom needs with so many customers that using an off the shelf service would be sufficient.