Tagonggong is the name of an ancient Sangihe percussion instrument for relaying information across mountaintops. The 21st-century Tagonggong Network is a rural ISP launched by community activists of Sangihe, North Sulawesi to bring Internet connectivity to the Sangihe’s isolated, mountainous islands and prepare the community for dignified livelihoods through sustainable digital economy.
The initiative has grown into a multi-stakeholder endeavour. In September 2022, the community erected two solar-powered relay towers constructed by vocational school students and teachers, bringing connectivity to the island of Kalama, 210 km across the sea from the nearest big city of Manado, and ushering the island of 46 households into the age of digital economy.