The roots of SPC.ORG, established in 1996 'to support independently organised spaces, open access to network media and creative experimentation with technology' are in BACKSPACE). This resource centre, activist meeting place, and general hang-out was a small but powerful seed of energy and focus in new media exploration, networking and open access within London. Many things to many people, Backspace was certainly the place where many alternative media practitioners got their first, hands-on lessons and experience. Over years of operation thousands of people gained a special experience of networking projects, built their own structures on-line and off and invigorated many more to experiment and develop ideas in creative collision. Backspace remained active and ready for use 6 days a week until its close at the end of 1999.

The SPC.ORG vision continues at DECKSPACE, which opened in Greenwich two years ago and is the current focus of co-ordination for SPC.ORG and its clutch of active projects. 'Our programme still cuts a circuit from network provision through training, creative development and cultural study,' explains founder James Stevens. 'A group of experienced and enthusiastic practitioners stand at the core of the SPC organisation and remain intent on these core objectives.' 'The Deck', as the locals fondly refer to it, is situated in projection suite of the 1930's Deco-styled Entertainments complex Borough Hall, part of the old Greenwich Town Hall, high above the surrounding landscape. From here visitors enjoy the panorama, have a cup of tea and get on with some concentrated work.

From the Deck, SPC hosts and operates its current projects. RADIOSPACE continues to support a wide range of streaming audio and video, transmission experiments, and the relay of events from around the UK. DIY.SPC is a collection of 'vagrant web projects'. RAD.SPC offers streaming services and event support.

Perhaps most well-known amongst the SPC work is Consume, developed after many months of gentle research into the state of wireless networking. Stevens describes its aim as being 'to illustrate tactics required to assume network autonomy, close the local loop monopoly and build a megabit network free from commercial control for us all to adopt and use.' The tactics CONSUME have developed are still an international focus for wireless networking debate and infrastructure planning. During biweekly meetings at a variety of London locations, from Town Halls to occupied warehouses, enthusiasts and neophytes alike have shared knowledge, ideas and information about building and sustaining an autonomous media infrastructure in London.

Other less well know projects now running from the Deckspace are silo, Frequency Clock (an online programming system) and a clutch of other access media projects. 'In March we hope to build multicast module to the Frequency Clock system,' says Stevens, 'at which point we will establish a Virtual Private Network and offer folk Multicast Broadcast channel over IP. In the meantime we are establishing experimental channels on the existing frequencyclock.spc.org...' And ConsumeX takes local mesh network development to the next stage, enabling it for distributed multicasting.

As these projects come to fruition, those who take part in them continue to learn and inspire each other in pushing the limits of 'new' media in a co-operative, open atmosphere that is still unique in London.