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NYC Mesh

NYC Mesh is a community-based mesh network based in in New York City. It promises to provide a network neutral connection, in spite of (and perhaps in response to) changes in FCC regulations that took effect in 2018 to end the Obama-era FCC requirement that ISPs abide by network neutrality. It has a direct connection to an Internet backbone, bypassing any traditional ISPs. As of December 2018, there are 255 active nodes.

Funding

Joining the network requires payment for parts and labor of installation. Most of the equipment is thus owned by individual members. However it receives funding from the of the Internet Society New York Chapter, which accepts recommended donations from NYC Mesh members.

The Internet Society is a non-profit, and it is not totally clear whether they receive any government funding. The 2015 financial statement from the parent organization doesn't seem to mention any. It has received funding from Google.org. That said, it is an outgrowth of the Internet Engineering Task Force, which was a government funded project until 1998. It appears that they were created in part to secure funding for the Internet Engineering Task Force after government funding ended. Its membership consists almost entirely of companies, and each level of membership requires a monetary contribution.

Sources

References

• NYC Mesh Website
  • Site home
  • Current network map
  • Frequently Asked Questions
• Scientific American article about alternatives to traditional ISPs which mentions NYC Mesh
• CNET Article about Network Neutrality
• TechCrunch Article about Google.org donating to the Internet Society
• Internet Society
  • Members
  • Membership Levels
  • 2015 Financial Statement
  • history
• "The Internet Engineering Task Force" - chapter from "Open Sources: Voices from the Open Source Revolution" - O'Reilly

Other Sources

• Wikipedia article about mesh networking
• Wikipedia article about the Internet Society
• Mashable article mentioning NYC Mesh