What this investigation is
NodeNet was a feasibility pilot, not a deployed emergency service. Mesh devices communicated directly and relayed messages from node to node. That technical model also depended on residents agreeing to host, learn and collectively maintain the network.
Verified so far
- Waag says the pilot used thirty devices hosted by Amsterdam residents.
- The devices used MeshCore radio technology and passed messages from node to node without centralized communications infrastructure.
- Urban obstacles made connectivity unreliable, and Waag reports that some messages were not received.
- Changing the spreading factor increased speed but reduced range, exposing a practical radio tradeoff.
- Residents saw potential in the concept but treated reliability as a prerequisite.
- There was no real emergency during the pilot; weekly prompts and games were used to explore ordinary use.
- Waag lists the pilot period as 1 December 2025 through 31 May 2026.
What to notice
- The infrastructure is distributed into homes rather than concentrated in one municipal facility.
- Every additional hop can extend reach, but a missing or poorly connected node can also affect delivery.
- Technical resilience depends on training, governance and community ownership as well as radio performance.
Limits and media status
These are Waag’s reported pilot findings, not independent performance validation. NodeNet should not be represented as current emergency coverage. Waag’s imagery is credited but carries no stated reuse licence, so this page uses an original typographic network visual instead.
Sources
- 1Waag FuturelabNodeNet project (opens externally)
- 2
- 3