This page describes Linkr’s approach and direction. For what is available right now, see
Product status.
Contributions, not estimates
Traditional coverage maps are based on models, projections, and carrier claims. They show where connectivity should exist. Linkr is built around where connectivity does exist. Hotspots in the beta app are real contributions from real participants — if a hotspot is there, someone put it there. The public map is a curated preview of what a populated map looks like, using a sample New York City dataset.Community-powered, not centrally controlled
Linkr does not own the network. The network is the sum of its contributors. Individuals share hotspots from their homes, offices, and devices. Organizations are expected to deploy connectivity across campuses and venues as the network grows. Each contribution adds to the whole. This is not crowdsourcing data about someone else’s network. It is people building the network itself.Discovery first
Finding a network is the first useful step. Linkr’s job today is to make contributed hotspots discoverable: their location, network type, signal, security, and the contributor’s notes. Automatic connection — where the app joins a network for you — is on the roadmap, not in today’s build. For now, Linkr shows you what exists and lets you decide.Comparison
Linkr is what connectivity infrastructure looks like when it is built by the people who
use it.