Editing Ends and Means (section)

===Components===
[[FreedomBox]] is a distribution of the operating system [[Debian]], which will turn a headless, small-form computer into a smart router and personal server. With sensible defaults, a dead-simple [[user interface]], and plug-and-play functionality, it will make it easy for anyone to secure, [[anonymization|anonymize]], and [[encryption|encrypt]] their communications. More than that, though, it will make it simple for anyone to participate in a neighborhood mesh network.


The reference hardware for the FreedomBox project is Marvell Technologies' [[DreamPlug]]. The DreamPlug has an ARM CPU running at 1.2GHz, 2GB of flash memory, 512MB of RAM, two ethernet ports, and a single 2.4GHz radio. All that needs to be added in order to use this rig as a node in the Free Network is a pair of 5GHz radios. We call this setup - a DreamPlug running FreedomBox with the additional radios, a ''FreedomNode'' or ''FNode'' for short. The total bill of materials for an FNode could be as low as $150, if we procured contracts with original equipment manufacturers. The 2.4Ghz radio would be used to distribute connectivity to client devices inside the home or business, and the 5GHz radios would be used to communicate with nearby FNodes and the neighborhood [[FreedomTower]].


An ''FTower'' is owned and operated cooperatively by a neighborhood network, roughly the size of a census tract. It has several 5GHz radios for communicating with FNodes, and 3650MHz radios for long-range links to other FTowers. It is important for the FTower to be visible to a significant portion of the neighborhood network. Line of sight dramatically improves the quality of radio communications links.


Within any group of 200-300 FreedomTowers would be a single [[FreedomLink]], serving a population of up to a million, connecting them to an Internet backbone. The ''FLink'' would communicate with the towers over 3650MHz, and maintain a mutihomed fiber connection to the Internet Protocol core. It would, again, be owned and operated by the community, allowing them to participate in the actual Internet by speaking [[BGP]] to other networks.


With community-owned fiber and satellite routes between FLinks, the picture is complete, and the constituents of the Free Network would be able to purchase network access at cost.


This may sound like no small feat, and that's certainly true, but the Free Network Movement has a truly practicable plan for making this vision a reality. Our strategic vision is explained in detail in Section 4 of this document.