WanderSafe Infrastructure
HAVEN: Hardened Autonomous
Vital Emergency Network
Off-grid encrypted communication for LGBTQ+ safe houses in hostile environments. HAVEN is a planned three-tier connectivity system designed to keep safe houses and travelers connected when the internet is blocked, monitored, or simply unavailable — across city blocks or international borders.
Section 01
Three-Tier Connectivity Model
HAVEN degrades gracefully. Each tier activates automatically when the one above it fails. No internet? Fall to mesh. Mesh out of range? Fall to cellular. The system is designed for the worst-case scenario — censorship, infrastructure failure, or targeted network shutdowns.
Tier 1 — Mesh (LoRa)
Device-to-device communication using Meshtastic protocol over LoRa radio. No internet, no cell towers, no infrastructure of any kind. Each node relays messages to extend the network's reach.
Tier 2 — Cellular US
4G LTE fallback for US nodes. All traffic routed through an encrypted VPN tunnel before transmission. Protects against network-level surveillance and metadata collection by ISPs.
Tier 3 — Cellular International
Airalo eSIM for cross-border communication. Travelers and safe houses in partner countries can receive alerts without a domestic SIM, avoiding carrier-level tracking in high-risk jurisdictions.
Section 02
Planned US Node Map
Seven US cities are proposed as initial HAVEN nodes, selected based on existing LGBTQ+ safe house infrastructure, legal climate risk adjacent to their states, and geographic distribution for mesh relay coverage. All nodes are in the planning phase — none are deployed.
Planned
Washington, DC
Est. $255–460/year per node
Planned
New York City
Est. $255–460/year per node
Planned
San Francisco
Est. $255–460/year per node
Planned
Chicago
Est. $255–460/year per node
Planned
Atlanta
Est. $255–460/year per node
Planned
New Orleans
Est. $255–460/year per node
Planned
Portland
Est. $255–460/year per node
Node locations are proposals only. Actual deployment would require partnership agreements with local organizations, site surveys for LoRa coverage, and grant funding authorization.
Section 03
Per-Node Cost Breakdown
Hardware cost per node is minimal — the design uses commodity components available from standard electronics suppliers. Annual recurring costs are optional and depend on which tiers are enabled.
| Component | Cost |
|---|---|
| Meshtastic device (LILYGO T-Beam) | $35 one-time |
| Solar panel + battery pack | $25 one-time |
| Weatherproof enclosure | $15 one-time |
| Cellular SIM card (optional — Tier 2) | $10/month |
| VPN service allocation (optional — Tier 2) | $3–8/month |
| Total per node (estimated) | $255–460/year |
Hardware is a one-time cost of $75. Annual recurring assumes Tier 2 cellular at $10/mo + VPN at $3–8/mo for 12 months. Mesh-only (Tier 1) nodes have $0 recurring operating cost after initial hardware.
Section 04
How HAVEN Works
HAVEN extends WanderSafe's existing monitoring pipeline into physical infrastructure. When the pipeline detects a threat, HAVEN carries the warning beyond the internet — into safe houses where connectivity cannot be assumed.
Alert Detected
WanderSafe's automated monitoring pipeline detects a threat event — legal change, reported incident, civil unrest, or border closure — using its existing news and legal data layers.
HAVEN Broadcasts
The alert is encrypted and propagated through the HAVEN node network, cascading across all three tiers simultaneously — mesh for local nodes, cellular for remote or international partners.
Safe Houses Receive
Partner safe houses receive the encrypted alert through whichever tier is available to them — even if internet access is blocked, monitored, or completely absent at their location.
Section 05
Grant Context
This page exists to document HAVEN's architecture for reviewers, partners, and collaborators. It is not a deployment announcement.
Architecture Status Note
HAVEN is a planned extension of WanderSafe, proposed as part of the Mozilla Democracy × AI Incubator application. The architecture described on this page represents the design intent and technical specification — not a deployed system. Development is contingent on grant funding. This page documents the architecture for reviewer reference and organizational transparency.