The problem for a small city
When an ice storm or a derecho takes down power for a day or more, cell towers run on backup batteries that can drain within hours, and networks jam as everyone tries to call at once. City websites, social posts and email alerts stop reaching homes without power. Staff lose the easiest way to hear from residents, and residents lose the easiest way to hear from you.
What a mesh network gives a city
- A channel to every household with a radio: warming center hours, boil-water notices, road closures.
- A way to hear back: residents can check in or ask for help, and staff see it on the dashboard.
- Staff coordination on an encrypted channel when phones are down.
- Independence: no carrier contract, no internet, no monthly bill for the radios themselves.
What the city provides
One point person, access to a high point such as a water tower if it fits the plan, and a mention in your newsletter or utility bill to help find host homes. No IT staff, power or internet is needed.
Good for council
- A modest one-time cost, with optional monthly monitoring.
- A visible preparedness project residents can join.
- Clear limits: it supplements 911, sirens and county alerts and doesn’t replace them.
Read how a mesh network fits an outage communication plan, or see pricing.