Skywire is the Skycoin Project’s new decentralized, private, and end-to-end encrypted internet. It is a mesh network comprised of small antennas attached to nodes called Skyminers. (Skyminers are powerful computers that provide the processing power, storage, and bandwidth for the network.)
The Skywire network in New York City is being built by members of the Skycoin community who believe in the principles of a free and open Internet, where privacy and security are foundational. Skywire puts the power firmly in the hands of users, rather than Internet Service Providers, corporations, or advertisers. And unlike other attempts at creating community mesh nets, Skywire is incentivized. This means that Skycoin will pay node operators for their service to the network as a way to encourage growth and adoption of Skywire.
The ongoing rollout of the New York meshnet across Manhattan is a major milestone and proof-of-concept for the Skycoin Project, which has been working on the “new Internet” for nearly a decade.
Presenters at the meetup explained the technical details of the Skywire network to attendees, including multi-label packet switching (MPLS), public-key addressing, and software-defined networking, all of which make the Skywire network faster, safer, and more private than the current Internet. A number of antennas were shown as well, including long and short-range antennas. It is these antennas that will allow Skywire nodes to connect to one another across the city, and allow anyone within range to freely join the network.
