goTenna

goTenna
Founded November 2012 (2012-11)
Founders Daniela Perdomo, Jorge Perdomo
Headquarters Brooklyn, New York
Website gotenna.com

goTenna (goTenna Inc.) is a Brooklyn, New York-based startup that designs and develops technologies for off-grid and decentralized communications. The company’s first product is a small device that pairs with smartphones and enables users to send texts and share locations on a peer-to-peer basis, foregoing the need for centralized communications infrastructure of any kind.[1]

History

goTenna was founded by siblings Daniela and Jorge Perdomo in November 2012 after Hurricane Sandy knocked out 25 percent of cell towers, and caused outages for 25 percent of Internet services, across 10 states on the East Coast.[2][3] The company’s stated goal is to build “people-powered peer-to-peer communication systems…reducing our reliance on cell towers and wifi routers, and providing anyone the ability to create a network on their terms.”[4]

goTenna’s first prototype was built out of hardware hackerspace NYC Resistor in early 2013. The company was bootstrapped until it raised a seed round of venture capital late that year.[1][5]

The company started taking pre-orders for its first product in July 2014.[6] These pre-orders started shipping in October 2015.[7]

Products

goTenna

The company’s first product, a device also named goTenna, is a cognitive digital radio that enables users to turn their smartphones into peer-to-peer, off-grid communication tools. Each goTenna device generates its own signal and, through proprietary ad hoc networking protocols, automatically coordinates with other units within range, so users can send and receive text messages and share GPS locations on offline maps regardless of access to wifi or cellular service. goTenna will even work when paired smartphones are in Airplane Mode because goTenna’s technology is completely independent of cell towers and wireless internet.[8][9][10][11]

goTenna pairs to any iOS or Android device over Bluetooth Low-Energy (BTLE). The goTenna app is the messaging interface, allowing users to chat 1-to-1, with a group, or broadcast openly to anyone nearby. goTenna’s proprietary ad hoc networking protocols power features like delivery confirmations and automatic channel-switching that are not available in traditional radio technologies like walkie-talkies. goTenna’s app also enables users to share GPS locations on free offline maps, which can be downloaded from within the app before users go off-grid.[12][13]

goTenna operates on public VHF spectrum known as the Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS) (151-154 MHz), and is certified under Part 95 by the FCC.[14]

The device’s casing is made of metal, nylon, and silicone, and is water-resistant.[15] Inside is a circuit board, radio chips, a custom antenna, and a lithium-polymer battery which can be recharged with a micro-USB cable.[16][17] The hardware features a retractable self-tuning antenna and 2-watt radio.[12][18] It weighs approximately 2 oz (52 g), and its dimensions are 5.8 x 1 x 0.5 in (147.3 x 25.4 x 12.7 mm). When the device extends, its length increases by 2.2 in or 55.8 mm. It weighs about 1.8 oz (52 g).[12][13]

goTenna is sold in pairs and can communicate with any other goTenna device within range.[19]

Future products

While the first product is only available in the United States and is intended for consumer smartphone users, in an onstage interview at Quartz’s Next Billion conference in November 2014, goTenna’s CEO Daniela Perdomo said the company plans to release products for professional and foreign markets, as well as versions for emerging markets that may not require smartphones.[20]

Partnerships

In April 2015, goTenna won a grant through the New York City Economic Development Corporation’s RISE:NYC competition, aimed at increasing resiliency among small businesses either affected by Hurricane Sandy or susceptible to similar natural disasters resulting from climate change.[21] As a term of the grant, goTenna will provide free devices to roughly 10,000 small businesses who suffered damage from Sandy in 2012 or are otherwise in the FEMA-designated 100-year floodplain.[22]

Awards

References

  1. 1 2 Statt, Nick. "GoTenna creates a cell network out of thin air anywhere on Earth". CNET.com. CNET. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  2. ↑ Rhodes, Margaret. "A Pocket-Sized Antenna That Lets You Text Even in a Disaster Like Sandy". wired.com. Wired. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  3. ↑ Goldman, David. "Sandy knocks out 25% of cell service in its path". money.cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "About Us". gotenna.com. goTenna. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Moritz, Scott. "How Superstorm Sandy Gave Rise to Wireless Startup". Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  6. ↑ Crook, Jordan. "The GoTenna Will Let You Communicate Without Any Connectivity". TechCrunch. TechCrunch. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "It’s #goTime: goTenna pre-orders are shipping!". gotenna.com. goTenna. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  8. ↑ Pangburn, DJ. "You Can Now Send Messages Even When You Don't Have Cell Service". Motherboard.vice.com. Vice Media. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  9. ↑ Sullivan, Mark. "GoTenna keeps your smartphone connected when you go off-grid". VentureBeat. VentureBeat. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  10. ↑ "How it Works". gotenna.com. goTenna. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  11. ↑ Sorokanich, Robert. "Using goTenna's Pocket Antenna to Send Texts Without Cell Service". Gizmodo.com. Gawker Media. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Off The Grid Comms Are Here". gearpatrol.com. Gear Patrol. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  13. 1 2 "FAQs". gotenna.com. goTenna. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS)". fcc.gov. Federal Communications Commission. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  15. ↑ Jackson, Joe. "goTenna". outsideonline.com. Outside Magazine. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  16. ↑ Fitchard, Kevin. "It’s all about the fractals: How goTenna designed its off-grid messaging device". gigaom.com. Knowingly, Inc. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  17. ↑ Ayres, Carly. "In the Details: How GoTenna Turns Smartphones Into Two-Way Emergency Radios". core77.com. Core77. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  18. ↑ Nelson, Patrick. "Device lets smartphones communicate during network outage". networkworld.com. Network World. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  19. ↑ Coldewey, Devin. "No Signal? No Problem. GoTenna Lets Phones Connect Off The Grid". nbcnews.com. NBC News. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  20. ↑ "The Next Billion - goTenna". livestream.com. Atlantic Media. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  21. ↑ "Mayor de Blasio Announces Selection of Rise: NYC Technologies to be Deployed at Sandy-Impacted Small Businesses Across New York City". NYC.gov. City of New York. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  22. ↑ Farinacci, Amanda. "Start-Up's Antenna Technology Recognized by City". twcnews.com. Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC. Retrieved 19 November 2015.
  23. 1 2 "2015 CES Innovation Awards" (PDF). CE.org. Consumer Electronics Association. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  24. ↑ "goTenna". reviewed.com. USA Today. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  25. ↑ "The 2015 Innovation By Design Awards Winners: Product Design". fastcodesign.com. Fast Company. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  26. ↑ "goTenna". core77.com. Core77. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  27. ↑ Cox, Edward. "2015 Best in Class Awards: Meet the Finalists". inc.com. Mansueto Ventures. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  28. ↑ Jackson, Joe. "Gear of the Show: Summer Outdoor Retailer 2014". outsideonline.com. Outside Magazine. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  29. ↑ "Greatest Gear For 2015: 'Best In Show' Awards At Outdoor Retailer". gearjunkie.com. Gear Junkie. Retrieved 27 October 2015.

External links

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