CNs are a vitally important part of the fabric of our increasingly tele-networked society. They are a local-regional response to the evolutionary development of the global information society.

CNs are attempting to promote responsible social cooperation; not just technical networking.

CNs set goals to intelligently incorporate new telecommunications systems and services in ways that may improve local quality of life.

CNs are led by social and media activists and altruists, thinking globally and acting locally, applying extended understandings of appropriate technology to the realm of tele-media development and its social and economic causes and effects.

CNs can aggregate economic demand for 'first mile' Internetworked systems and services, in urban neighborhoods, rural regions and in the sprawling growth between rural and urban areas.

CNs are forging new regional partnerships. In the development of 'first mile' infrastructure and services, they may include working relationships among state and federal agencies, city and county government, school districts, research and higher education institutions, libraries, non-profits, healthcare providers, business and corporate anchors, building developers, banks and financial institutions, telecommunications systems and services providers, and local populations.

CNs can help to provide local access, education, economic incubation, information resources, research and demonstration, networked planning, civic decision support, and technology recycling.

CNs can be economic incubators and techno-social testbeds, that could be invested in by a convergence of the large companies and government agencies that have the most to gain from the new information economy.

CNs can continue to evolve to meet local needs by fostering lifelong learning, setting examples of changing social organization, revitalizing economic opportunities and nurturing knowledge-based ecological sustainability.

CNs are an interim solution for certain early adopter communities having local leadership and vision. As currently organized, they are rarely sustainable.

CNs, in most cases, currently lack a long range economic foundation. They cannot just be ISPs. Most are non-profit organizations that may be marginalized by commercial services providers, which often may also have short lives.

CNs are not yet well understood and do not have broad-based support. They are represented by networked organizational initiatives such as the Association for Community Networking and Community Technology Centers .