FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
San Francisco Wireless Emergency Mesh
415-659-8738
sfwem.net | sfwem.media@gmail.com
San Francisco Wireless Emergency Mesh (SFWEM) Enables Disaster Communications with Grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications™ (ARDC)
San Francisco – November 17, 2020 – The San Francisco Wireless Emergency Mesh received a $100k grant from Amateur Radio Digital Communications to expand a high-speed wireless network throughout San Francisco and the greater Bay Area during disasters, emergencies, and large community events. The network serves responders, volunteers, and government agencies.
This grant coincides with the formation of SFWEM as a 501(c)(3). It enables furthering the project's mission to serve as a force multiplier for education, research, and disaster response using digital communications capabilities. Given its tax-deductible status, it will also allow for future charitable contributions to assist in its continued expansion.
SFWEM is open to San Francisco Bay Area licensed amateur radio operators interested in emergency communications and supporting its mission. SFWEM utilizes commercial off-the-shelf equipment running open-source software to create a resilient & robust high-speed network. A vital attribute of the system is the Amateur Radio community software named AREDN. AREDN has been actively developed over the last 15 years and "operated" by ham radio operators. It leverages Wi-Fi technology's strength on frequencies reserved for ham radio use.
Goals of SFWEM
Education, Research & Mentorship of the Amateur Radio Community on digital network technologies.
Rapid ad-hoc communication deployments during disasters and emergencies.
Reliable, fault-tolerant networks that served agencies can protect San Francisco residents and save lives during disaster situations.
SFWEM Co-Founder and Board Member Kiley Davidson stated, "Amateur Radio has proven to be an invaluable resource for communities during emergencies big and small. SFWEM is proud to continue that tradition of service in the digital age. Since the launch of SFWEM in 2016, the network has grown with individual operators' support. It's achieved many successful deployments and tests of the network for our served agencies, including support of San Francisco's COVID-19 response efforts. This grant from ARDC accelerates and strengthens our growth. In doing so, it ensures network reliability during more severe events like earthquakes or wildfires and increasing its coverage to serve more of the Bay Area."
ARDC Executive Director Rosy Wolfe stated, "Amateur radio can be a critical component of an emergency communications infrastructure strategy. We look forward to seeing what SF Wireless Emergency Mesh builds and deploys - what they do will be helpful for San Francisco, and what they learn may be critical to others wishing to deploy similar networks."
About San Francisco Wireless Emergency Mesh
San Francisco Wireless Emergency Mesh (SFWEM) is a volunteer-led project to install a resilient, high-speed wireless network throughout San Francisco and the greater Bay Area for use during disasters, emergencies, and large community events by responders, volunteers, and served agencies.
About Amateur Radio Digital Communications
Amateur Radio Digital Communications (ARDC) is a California-based foundation with roots in amateur radio (AR) and the technology of internet communication. The organization got its start by managing allocations of the AMPRnet address space, which is designated to licensed AR operators worldwide. Additionally, ARDC makes grants to projects and organizations that follow AR's practice and tradition of technical experimentation in both AR and digital communication science. Such experimentation has led to broad advances for the benefit of the general public – such as the mobile phone and wireless internet technology. ARDC envisions a world where all such technology is available through open source hardware and software, and where anyone has the ability to innovate upon it.
For additional information about SFWEM, contact:
Jon Wurfl - KM6GVN - SFWEM Media Relations
415-659-8738
sfwem.media@gmail.com
San Francisco Wireless Emergency Mesh (SFWEM)
Website: sfwem.net
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BayAreaMesh
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sfwem
For additional information about ARDC, contact:
Rosy Wolfe – KJ7RYV - Executive Director
rosy@ampr.org