NYC Mesh
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What NYC Mesh does
NYC Mesh is a 501(c)(3) non-profit community-run wireless internet network operating across New York City since 2013. The organization provides affordable, neutral, net-neutral internet service to NYC residents by deploying rooftop mesh nodes connected through hub-and-spoke and WDS mesh topology, with supernodes linking to fiber backbones at data centers including Industry City (Brooklyn) and 375 Pearl St (Manhattan). Its core offerings include rooftop antenna installations for individual apartments ($290 standard, $160 subsidized, or $40/month installment plan) and Fiber-to-the-Home deployments delivering 10+ gigabit speeds to entire buildings, supplemented by public WiFi access points and VPN services (L2TP/IPsec and WireGuard). The network spans over 1,000 nodes across 60+ hubs and connects nearly 300 buildings across Manhattan and Brooklyn, with ongoing expansion projects in partnership with NYCHA and HPD targeting public housing.
The organization is volunteer-driven with no paid CEO, directors, or employees; operations are coordinated via Slack, a Bookstack Wiki, GitHub repositories, and monthly meetups. Revenue comes from one-time installation fees and optional $20/month member donations, with all contributions tax-deductible under its 501(c)(3) status (EIN 84-2616395). NYC Mesh has no venture capital backing, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no patents or trademarks. Its go-to-market is community-led: word-of-mouth referrals, building presentations, neighborhood outreach (including bilingual flyers in English and Spanish), and grassroots organizing, supported by extensive earned media coverage (NYT, MIT Tech Review, Newsweek, CNET, Vice). The infrastructure uses Ubiquiti and Mikrotik hardware with OSPF routing and BGP peering at internet exchange points, and is governed by a Network Commons License requiring members to extend the network to others.
NYC Mesh firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- NYC Mesh
- Legal name
- NYC Mesh Inc.
- Website
- https://nycmesh.net
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
NYC Mesh industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Wireless Internet Service
- NAICS
- Wired Telecommunications Carriers (517111), Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)
- SIC
- Communications Services, Nec (4899)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers (HDAIABAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Fiber Backhaul to Towers & Small Cells (Fronthaul/Midhaul/Backhaul) (HDAIAKAK), Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) Operators (HDAIACAB)
Keywords
Where NYC Mesh is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
NYC Mesh business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Installation Fees: One-time installation fees for connecting buildings and apartments. Standard install costs $290 total ($240 equipment, $50 installer). Subsidized option at $160 and installment plan at $40/month for 6 months available.
- Member Donations: After the 6-month installment period, members can optionally donate $20/month. All donations are tax-deductible as NYC Mesh is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
- Community Contributions: Support through generous contributions of time and funds from community members. Both volunteer time and financial donations support network maintenance and expansion.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Standard Installation - $290 total |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Subsidized Installation - $160 |
| Subscription | Monthly | Installment Plan - $40/month for 6 months |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
NYC Mesh product offering
Product offeringCore offering
NYC Mesh operates a community-owned, volunteer-run wireless mesh internet network across New York City, connecting residential buildings and apartments to high-speed internet through rooftop antennas, hub nodes, and fiber-connected supernodes. The organization also delivers Fiber to the Home (FTTH) for whole buildings with speeds up to 10+ gigabit and provides remote access via VPN services.
Product overview
NYC Mesh operates a community-owned wireless internet network across New York City as a unified platform combining multiple connectivity services. The core offering is the mesh network infrastructure comprising rooftop mesh installations for individual apartments, hub nodes for neighborhood connectivity, and supernode infrastructure with fiber backbone connections providing internet backbone access. Additional services include Fiber to the Home (FTTH) for buildings with speeds up to 10+ gigabit, public WiFi access points, and VPN remote access services (L2TP/IPsec and WireGuard). Supporting infrastructure includes the NYC Mesh Wiki documentation platform, network status monitoring, line of sight planning tools, and an interactive network map. The network is built on OSPF routing protocols with BMX6 mesh protocol and WDS bridges, utilizing Ubiquiti and Mikrotik hardware throughout the infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- NYC Mesh Community Network
- Rooftop Mesh Installation
- Fiber to the Home (FTTH)
- Public WiFi Access Points
- L2TP/IPsec VPN Service
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 300 buildings connected across NYC since 2013
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use NYC Mesh
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
NYC Mesh technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature6 records
NYC Mesh partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Pilot Fiber, Inc.corePilot Fiber partnered with NYC Mesh to provide the supernode 3 infrastructure at Industry City. Pilot Fiber enabled the massive high-speed wireless broadband expansion in Brooklyn, allowing for greater network capacity and coverage in Sunset Park, South Slope, Park Slope, Gowanus, Red Hook, and beyond. Pilot Fiber CEO Joe Fasone stated the partnership aligned with their vision to enable global access to the internet.
- ColoGuard (Industry City)coreNYC Mesh operates Supernode 3 out of the ColoGuard datacenter located at Industry City, providing the physical infrastructure for their largest supernode with 50x the capacity of the original.
- Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's OfficeminorHosted a hub node (node 2749) that was used during the Occupy City Hall WiFi deployment, providing connectivity to protesters when the office was reopened during the occupation.
- BetaNYCminorNoel from BetaNYC assisted in turning on the hub at Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer's office for the Occupy City Hall WiFi deployment, enabling connectivity for the protest camp.
- Vocal-NYminorLed the Occupy City Hall occupation effort; NYC Mesh provided WiFi infrastructure to support the organization's goals and the protesters' needs.
- NYCHA (New York City Housing Authority)coreNYC Mesh is currently working with NYCHA on multiple large projects to expand fiber connectivity to public housing residents, bringing high-speed internet access to underserved communities.
- HPD (Housing Preservation and Development)coreNYC Mesh is working with HPD on large projects to bring internet access to residents through building partnerships and fiber deployments.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
NYC Mesh competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Guifi.net: Guifi.net is the largest community-owned telecommunications network in the world, based in Catalonia, Spain. It operates a similar open, volunteer-driven mesh architecture providing neutral internet access, making it the most direct global comparable to NYC Mesh.
- Freifunk: Freifunk is a major grassroots community mesh network movement across Germany and Europe using decentralized wireless technology. It is highly comparable in operating model, community volunteer structure, and net-neutrality positioning to NYC Mesh.
- Toronto Mesh: Toronto Mesh is a community-run mesh network in Toronto, Canada, focused on building decentralized internet infrastructure with a similar volunteer-driven, open-source ethos. It is a near-twin to NYC Mesh in both technology stack and organizational model.
- Philly Community Wireless: Philly Community Wireless is a community mesh network in Philadelphia working to provide affordable internet access and digital equity, with a comparable non-profit, volunteer-based structure serving a US urban market.
- Detroit Community Technology Project: Detroit Community Technology Project operates the Equitable Internet Initiative, building community-owned mesh networks in Detroit to address the digital divide. Highly comparable mission, community-ownership model, and urban deployment focus.
- Monkeybrains: Monkeybrains is a small, independent San Francisco-based ISP providing affordable fixed-wireless and fiber internet service. It is a comparable small-scale, alternative-ISP serving a dense US urban market with similar net-neutrality leanings.
- Athens Wireless Metropolitan Network (AWMN): AWMN is one of the longest-running large-scale community wireless networks, based in Athens, Greece. It is directly comparable as a mature community-run mesh and broadband network with a similar volunteer governance structure.
Broad incumbents
- Starry: Starry is a US-based fixed-wireless broadband ISP targeting urban markets with a low-cost, no-data-cap, net-neutrality positioning. While a for-profit entity, it targets a similar underserved-urban-residential customer base as NYC Mesh.
Others
- Pilot Fiber: Pilot Fiber is a NYC-based fiber ISP and existing partner of NYC Mesh, providing the fiber backbone for Supernode 3 at Industry City. It is comparable as the upstream fiber connectivity partner enabling NYC Mesh's high-capacity deployments.
Emerging players
- PCs for People: PCs for People is a US non-profit providing affordable internet and devices to low-income households, including in NYC. It is comparable as a non-profit alternative internet provider addressing the digital divide, though its model focuses more on subsidized subsidized-MNO connectivity than owned infrastructure.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
NYC Mesh social profiles
Digital presenceNYC Mesh financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
NYC Mesh leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
NYC Mesh funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
NYC Mesh M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about NYC Mesh
What does NYC Mesh do?
NYC Mesh operates a community-owned, volunteer-run wireless mesh internet network across New York City, connecting residential buildings and apartments to high-speed internet through rooftop antennas, hub nodes, and fiber-connected supernodes. The organization also delivers Fiber to the Home (FTTH) for whole buildings with speeds up to 10+ gigabit and provides remote access via VPN services.
Is NYC Mesh a public or private company?
NYC Mesh is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was NYC Mesh founded?
NYC Mesh was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is NYC Mesh based?
NYC Mesh is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does NYC Mesh make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Installation Fees are the primary driver. The others are member Donations and community Contributions.
Who are NYC Mesh's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Guifi.net, Freifunk, Toronto Mesh, Philly Community Wireless, Detroit Community Technology Project, Monkeybrains and Athens Wireless Metropolitan Network (AWMN). Starry is listed as a broad incumbent. Pilot Fiber is listed as an others. PCs for People is listed as an emerging player.
Does NYC Mesh have an API?
No public API is recorded for NYC Mesh.
What industry is NYC Mesh in?
NYC Mesh's product category is Community Wireless Internet Service. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIABAC, Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP/FTTH) Broadband Providers, with a secondary code of HDAIAKAK, Fiber Backhaul to Towers & Small Cells (Fronthaul/Midhaul/Backhaul). Its NAICS code is 517111 and its SIC code is 4899.