Daniela Perdomo credits the absence of basic communication services after super-storm Sandy for inspiring GoTenna Inc., a do-it-yourself wireless network that can carry text messages to Androids and Apple iPhones.

Daniela Perdomo, started GoTenna in Brooklyn, with her brother Jorge in March 2013. She spent the months after the super-storm Sandy bouncing her idea for a low-fi communications network off telecom and technology experts until she had a theoretical product. That led to a prototype cigar-sized antenna that connects phones via public, unlicensed airwaves.

The antennas are sold in pairs for $149.99 with no additional service charges. The antennas make up the network, and the service operates independently from cellular or Wi-Fi networks. The signal range is anywhere from 50 miles to several blocks, depending on interference. “This is completely different. There’s no market for what they do now, the closest category would be walkie-talkies. But there are a number of uses for this technology, which really drove our interest,” said Alberto Escarlate with Collaborative Fund, an early investor in GoTenna.

Some of the uses for the point-to-point communication include outdoor adventurers who travel beyond the reach of cellular networks, concertgoers who want to coordinate locations, and even survivalists who may stow it in their emergency packs. “The devices also offer privacy for groups who want to communicate off the grid,” he said.

The team behind it says that everything is encoded, and the app will automatically retry until your message goes through — in case you’re hiking in difficult terrain, for instance. The company’s planning on selling a limited number for $150 per pair on its site to raise $50,000 in funding — after that, it’ll run $300.

What do you think about this new-way of communicating off the grid?