Neighbors build their own internet in Sunset Park

NYC Mesh, a volunteer-run city-wide internet collective, is slowly spreading through Sunset Park, building a network of antennas and routers that connect neighbors directly to one another. The result is broadband without the corporate middleman, supported instead by small donations from users.

“It’s basically about building our own infrastructure,” said NYC Mesh volunteer Lydon Thorpe, speaking from the roof of the Riverview cooperative on 41st Street and 7th Avenue. “Rather than paying one of the corporate internet providers, people donate $20 or $30 a month. That money pays for the antennas, the data center rent, the maintenance and upgrades.”

Riverview, incorporated in 1923, is one of Sunset Park’s oldest not-for-profit housing cooperatives, established by Finnish immigrants who helped shape the area once known as “Finntown.” The cooperative spirit behind its founding echoes in the way NYC Mesh grows: each new rooftop node strengthens the whole network, extending its reach across the neighborhood.

From this rooftop, Thorpe pointed toward Industry City, where NYC Mesh keeps servers at DataVerge, one of its core “supernodes.” Clear skies offer the best conditions for signals as the 60 GHz antennas rely on clear line of sight connections. Though rain and fog can sometimes cause interruptions, most antennas now include 5 GHz backup channels that automatically kick in during bad weather and are impervious to what Thorpe calls “rain fade.”

The four-story building, with its commanding view, is known as Sunset Park Hub by NYC Mesh and has become a hub of the network’s expansion into South Brooklyn. Resident Marcin Wolynski was the first to push his co-op board to try it.

“At first, I thought maybe just one unit, a public Wi-Fi spot for the basement,” he said. “But it’s been a huge success. We’re now at something like 65 percent saturation in the building.” About 25 of 32 apartments are connected, with more joining whenever new owners move in.

“I’ve really enjoyed, first of all, just out of spite, sticking it to big cable,” said Wolynski, who, before switching, had Spectrum. “It’s the same on downloads and better with uploads. With the gigabit upgrade they put in the building, there’s potential to be even better overall.”

Thorpe explained that installs cost $240, covering the antenna, cabling, and a home router. There are subsidized and installment options, and monthly donations are suggested but not required. “If people can’t afford it, we’ll still provide access,” he said.

What matters most is access to the roof and line of sight to another node. “That’s how the network expands. One building talks to the next.”

It’s not uncommon for buildings to talk to each other while leaving residents out of the conversation. The Sunset Park Library hosts NYC Mesh antennas, but the library and the residents who live upstairs are not on the network. Some NYCHA tower rooftops also house NYC Mesh gear, but as of yet, the tenants don’t have the option to connect. “They could be connected; it’s just a matter of running cables in the building,” Thorpe said. “All it takes is the city signing off.”

Many nodes also deliver free Wi-Fi to nearby parks and plazas. Thorpe told the Sunset Post he would personally install a Wi-Fi access point at the corner of 41st Street and 6th Avenue, by the park. But providing access to the entire park would require hooking up access points to, and drawing power from, the park’s lampposts. And while the Parks Department has expressed interest in the idea, the NYC Department of Transportation controls the lampposts.

“We had a meeting with a couple of people from the park, but, yeah, it’s getting DOT on board that just didn’t happen,” said Thorpe.

Outages are rare, usually caused by someone unplugging equipment that often relies on power cables running from the roofs down into indoor wall sockets. Heavy winds can also sometimes nudge less securely installed antennas, pointing them in the wrong direction. Battery backups and redundant paths keep hubs online. And the more people who join, the stronger it gets. “The more nodes we have, the more backup connections we can build,” said Thorpe.

For Wolynski, that kind of resilience feels like community: “The idea is neighbors helping neighbors.”