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A Western New York community emergency network.

When the power goes out, neighbors stay connected.

WNYMesh is a group of volunteers building a community radio network that lets people send messages to each other even when cell service and internet are down. We also help families prepare and bring neighbors together.

Get involved How it works
Illustration of snowy Western New York homes with warm lit windows, connected to each other by gentle radio signals.

What we do

Keep neighbors connected

We build and care for a network of small, solar-powered radios across Western New York, so messages can still get through in a storm.

Help families prepare

Free workshops and plain-language guides on making a family plan and staying in touch when the usual ways stop working.

Simple steps to be ready

Bring people together

Build nights, meetups, and demonstrations where anyone can learn something new and get to know the people nearby.

See upcoming events
How it works

Plain and simple

  1. A small radio

    A pocket-sized radio pairs with your phone, so you can type short messages the way you'd send a text.

  2. Neighbor to neighbor

    Your message hops from radio to radio, helped along by solar-powered repeaters on volunteers' rooftops and high places.

  3. Stay in touch

    Check in with family, friends, and neighbors, even when the power, cell towers, or internet are out.

Curious about the technology? Our network's technical home is WNYMeshCore.

Why it matters

Western New York knows storms

Lake-effect snow, ice storms, and long outages can cut a neighborhood off in a few hours. The December 2022 blizzard showed all of us how hard it can be to reach the people we care about when roads close and phones go quiet.

A community that is connected before an emergency is safer during one. That's why we build a network that belongs to the community, is powered by the sun, and is open to everyone.

Important: our network is a backup for staying in touch with each other. It is not an emergency service. In an emergency, always call 911 if you can.

Coming up

Repeater Build Night

When: November 2026, the week before Thanksgiving (date to be announced)
Where: Buffalo area (location to be announced)

Spend an evening with neighbors building the solar-powered repeaters that keep our community network running. No experience needed. We'll show you every step.

Event details