Thumb Mesh Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Thumb Mesh, exactly?

   Thumb Mesh is a communications cooperative of sorts, but for everyone and at no cost to the user. A user can buy a small radio from a third party at $15 - $120 and have continual access to this network with no monthly fees, or fees of any kind, ever. Thumb Mesh does not receive, nor does it seek to receive, compensation for the service we provide.
   
   
2. Who is Thumb Mesh?

   Thumb Mesh is built by two kinds of volunteers: site owners who provide valuable space high on towers, elevators and grain bins to host the hardware that relays messages across the thumb, and engineers, folks who donate their time to build, install, and maintain the relay hardware.
   
   
3. Who hosts Thumb Mesh relay hardware?

   Thumb mesh relay hardware is hosted by several businesses, residences, public service agencies, and organizations. A list of examples will be here soon, pending site owner approval.
   
   
4. Why build this network?

   Thumb Mesh is designed to do one thing: forward short text messages (no video, audio, images, or other data, only text) tens to hundreds of miles in seconds. This can be used for emergency communications when cell towers are down or overloaded, to coordinate a search party, to monitor or control devices at a distance, to update a partner's shopping list, or just have a chat. We believe the immense value of the network far exceeds our investment in it. We also believe in giving back to the community we're so proud to ba a part of.
   
   
5. Where is this network?

   Presently the network spans Grindstone to Argyle, Pigeon to Ubly, Unionville to Kinde, and more, but the network is ever expanding. We'll be expanding To the east to Lexington, Port Hope, Harbor Beach, to the west to Bay City, Midland, Saginaw, south to Vassar, Marlette and beyond.
   
   You can see a map of our current footprint on the main page.
   
   If there's an area you want to see the Thumb Mesh network expand to, you can contact us.
   
   
6. How is the Thumb Mesh network built and financed?

   The only infrastructure required for Thumb Mesh to run is the relay hardware deployed at the locations site owners so generously provide. This hardware is inexpensive and requires no licensing, so it is possible for our engineers to fund them entirely out-of-pocket.