I Bought a Starlink for Central Park

Free WiFi for Sheep Meadow — because I got lost.

Last summer I was in Sheep Meadow on a Saturday. My friends sent me a text:

"By the big tree."

Sheep Meadow is 15 acres and there are a lot of big trees. My phone had no signal, the map wouldn't load, iMessage gave up. I walked around for forty-five minutes and climbed a hill at one point to wave. By the time I found everyone the wine was warm and I was sunburned.

I laid down on the blanket and thought — this is the best park in the world, why is the internet like this?

The plan

I bought a Starlink and I'm pointing it at Sheep Meadow. Free WiFi for the whole lawn — no logins, no ads, no caps. You sit down, you connect, you're online.

Where the money goes

• Starlink hardware and the monthly bill
• Outdoor WiFi gear that can survive a New York winter
• Mounting and power
• More of the park as we grow

Nobody's getting paid for this. It's just me and a dish.

Pay it forward

When you connect you'll see a little welcome page with a tip jar. Used it for ten minutes to find your friends? Saved $40 in roaming on your trip from Berlin? Worked from the grass all afternoon? Drop a few bucks so the next person gets the same thing.

$5, $20, $100 — it all keeps it running.

Help me keep the park online.

— Alex