NYC Mesh

Building Install

If you would like to connect your whole building to the Mesh, we have a new streamlined process. This is for over 6 apartments. Buildings over 50 apartments will be considered for fiber connections and we will handle fiber leases as well. Our Grand Street project has hundreds of apartments sharing a 40 gigabit fiber connection, so large projects are welcome.

We will help you with-

  • Scheduling
  • Payment management
  • Management companies
  • Dedicated high-bandwidth connections
  • Zoom and coop meeting attendance
  • Lease and insurance paperwork if needed
  • Dedicated Mesh contact to coordinate everything

We have a FAQ below, but please email us with your specific questions!

If you can get 50 or more apartments to sign we will do a fiber install and we can waive the fiber lease and data costs. There will still be an install cost per-apartment of $290, or $40 per month for six months for those who can’t afford the up-front cost.

For new buildings we will work with construction companies and architects to plan and run cables during construction. We are working on a few new buildings at the moment.

Here is a presentation about building installs

FAQ

How will billing work, both install fees and recurring monthly donations?

We have automated secure credit card transactions through Stripe. Individuals can easily set these up and edit the amounts. The individual install fee is paid here- https://nycmesh.net/pay

With management companies we send an invoice and they use their normal payment method (checks, ACH, credit cards etc)

Does the building/management need to pay NYC Mesh on behalf of the residents, or can residents pay you directly?

Residents can pay directly, or we can invoice management. It’s up to you.

How do you handle arrears? Would that individual just be disconnected, or would it potentially affect the entire building?

We send friendly reminders to people that are not donating. We don’t disconnect anybody, or any building, unless specifically requested.

We have multiple buildings on the same block. Do you need a fiber lease for each building?

If the buildings are adjacent, or have close line-of-sight, we only need to lease fiber to one building.

Can we upgrade from wireless to fiber at a later date?

Yes, we can upgrade later.

What equipment is needed in each resident’s unit for connectivity?

We provide everything needed, including the home router. Tenants can use their own home router if they prefer.

What speeds can we expect per apartment with wireless vs. fiber

Short answer- 100 to 200Mbps with wireless, 850Mbps with fiber (8 gigabit optional!)

If we do a point-to-point wireless connection, it would be around 600Mbps on the roof. If we connect 40 apartments they would be using an average of 6Mbps at peak time, so there would be around 360Mbps still available per apartment. This will vary as it is hard to be precise with wireless. If we get less than 10 apartments signing on, we’d do our normal point-to-multipoint which would be around 100Mbps.

With fiber it would be around 900Mbps available at all times (over ethernet), and around 600Mbps over wifi in the same room. It’s possible to do 8 gigabits over fiber now (8,000Mbps), but you need specialized computer cards to make use of that.

Can you install wifi access points in common areas or hallways?

Yes we can install outdoor or hallway wifi access points, people usually donate $20/month for each access point. We will monitor and fix any problems with these. Our standard install includes 5GHz wifi on the roof.

Is there a contract?

No, but we have a Network Commons License that you must agree to. The main points of this agreement are-

■ Participants are free to use the network for any purpose that does not limit the freedom of others to do the same. ■ Participants are free to know how the network and its components function. ■ Participants are free to offer and accept services on the network on their own terms. ■ By joining the free network, you agree to extend the network to others under the same conditions.