Date: April 2025
Amount: $235,045

Rhizomatica, a US-based nonprofit founded in 2009, works globally to create open-source telecommunications infrastructure for communities facing oppressive regimes, natural disasters, or living in remote or underdeveloped areas. The organization’s mission is to make communication technologies accessible by combining regulatory activism, decentralized infrastructure development, and community involvement to support autonomy.

One of Rhizomatica’s key initiatives is the “Connecting the Unconnected” project, which helps build Community Networks in the Global South, in partnership with the Association for Progressive Communications. The organization also supports the world’s first community cellular network in Mexico, launched in 2012. Another major project is the High-frequency Emergency and Rural Multimedia Exchange System (HERMES), initiated in 2017 to provide affordable, long-range, autonomous communication solutions for remote communities. In 2018, HERMES won the Mozilla and National Science Foundation’s Wireless Innovation for a Networked Society Off-the-Grid Internet Challenge.

Rhizomatica’s latest project focuses on refining and releasing HERMES as a fully functional open-source solution for long-range, resilient communication, particularly in areas with limited or no connectivity. The project centers on three main priorities: releasing Mercury Modem 1.0, improving the HERMES installer for easier setup, and integrating digital voice capabilities. These tools are being developed as open-source alternatives to proprietary digital communication systems, allowing for seamless adoption without requiring changes to existing practices. These advancements will ensure that disaster-prone or isolated communities have reliable communication tools in emergencies. By completing these goals, Rhizomatica aims to provide an affordable, autonomous communication system suitable for diverse environments, from remote monitoring stations to disaster-stricken areas.

Through these efforts, Rhizomatica seeks to enhance the accessibility of open-source communication solutions and contribute to a more connected and resilient global community. The impact will be measured by the success of the project in delivering reliable and user-friendly communication for underserved communities worldwide.

Learn more at https://www.rhizomatica.org/.