About LibreNetwork
LibreNetwork is a community of builders, organizers, and advocates working to create an open, decentralized internet — one that is community-owned, censorship-resistant, and free from corporate gatekeepers.
We build mesh networks. We defend digital rights. We share knowledge freely. And we believe that the internet you were promised — resilient, open, and belonging to everyone — is still worth building.
Our History
LibreNetwork has its roots in the early 2010s wave of mesh networking enthusiasm that followed the SOPA fight. In 2012, as Congress debated legislation that would have handed corporations the power to censor the internet, communities across the internet started asking the same question: what if we just built something they couldn't shut down?
One of those communities was the Orlando Meshnet Project, a local chapter of a broader global meshnet movement that grew out of discussions on Reddit and similar forums. Around the same time, project director Travis Newton was volunteering with The Free Network Foundation (FNF) — a pioneering organization that deployed community wireless networks and advocated for decentralized internet infrastructure.
The FNF has since become defunct, but the vision it carried forward didn't disappear with it. In the spirit of open source, LibreNetwork was formed as a fork — a continuation of that work, incorporating the lessons learned from early mesh efforts and building toward something more durable and community-driven.
We don't have venture capital. We don't have a corporate sponsor. We have people who believe the internet belongs to everyone and are willing to do something about it. Travis announced the project in April 2019, and the community has been building ever since.
What We Value
Decentralization
No single point of failure, no single point of control. Networks, infrastructure, and governance should be distributed.
Privacy
The right to communicate without surveillance is not a premium feature. It's a baseline expectation.
Openness
Software, designs, and knowledge should be open. Proprietary black boxes have no place in community infrastructure.
Community
This is a people project. The technology serves the community — not the other way around.
The Team
Travis Newton — Director. Technologist and community organizer. Former volunteer with The Free Network Foundation. Founded LibreNetwork to continue and expand community mesh networking efforts.
LibreNetwork is open to anyone who shares these values. There are no membership fees, no approval committees. Show up, contribute, and you're part of it.
The website is open source — you can see (and improve) it on GitHub.
Want to Help?
LibreNetwork grows through people showing up. Whatever your skills, there's a place for you here.
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