The dominant historical narrative often portrays communication networks as fostering democracy, freedom, and public discourse. These accounts, particularly those focused on the US and UK, tend to isolate the domestic histories of communication networks from their colonial functions. They emphasize their role in shaping public spheres at home while overlooking their use as instruments of empire. Our project challenges this narrative by investigating the colonial foundations and evolution of communication infrastructures, focusing on their entanglement with militarization, domination, and violence.
