diff --git a/lib/facts/tunnelbroker.js b/lib/facts/tunnelbroker.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c5a7abbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/facts/tunnelbroker.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// @flow
+
+import { isDev } from '../utils/dev-utils.js';
+
+const tunnnelbrokerURL: string = isDev
+  ? 'ws://localhost:51001'
+  : 'https://tunnelbroker.commtechnologies.org';
+
+export { tunnnelbrokerURL };
diff --git a/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js b/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
index 078814e16..05fe2bf19 100644
--- a/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
+++ b/lib/tunnelbroker/tunnelbroker-context.js
@@ -1,80 +1,107 @@
 // @flow
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import * as React from 'react';
 
+import { tunnnelbrokerURL } from '../facts/tunnelbroker.js';
 import { type TunnelbrokerMessage } from '../types/tunnelbroker/messages.js';
 import type { ConnectionInitializationMessage } from '../types/tunnelbroker/session-types.js';
 
 export type ClientMessageToDevice = {
   +deviceID: string,
   +payload: string,
 };
 
 export type TunnelbrokerSocketListener = (
   message: TunnelbrokerMessage,
 ) => mixed;
 
 type TunnelbrokerContextType = {
   +sendMessage: (message: ClientMessageToDevice) => Promise<void>,
   +addListener: (listener: TunnelbrokerSocketListener) => void,
   +removeListener: (listener: TunnelbrokerSocketListener) => void,
   +connected: boolean,
 };
 
 const TunnelbrokerContext: React.Context<?TunnelbrokerContextType> =
   React.createContext<?TunnelbrokerContextType>();
 
 type Props = {
   +children: React.Node,
   +initMessage: ?ConnectionInitializationMessage,
 };
 
 function TunnelbrokerProvider(props: Props): React.Node {
-  const { children } = props;
-  const [connected] = React.useState(false);
+  const { children, initMessage } = props;
+  const [connected, setConnected] = React.useState(false);
   const listeners = React.useRef<Set<TunnelbrokerSocketListener>>(new Set());
+  const socket = React.useRef<?WebSocket>(null);
+
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (connected || !initMessage) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const tunnelbrokerSocket = new WebSocket(tunnnelbrokerURL);
+
+    tunnelbrokerSocket.onopen = () => {
+      tunnelbrokerSocket.send(JSON.stringify(initMessage));
+    };
+
+    tunnelbrokerSocket.onclose = () => {
+      setConnected(false);
+      console.error('Connection to Tunnelbroker closed');
+    };
+    tunnelbrokerSocket.onerror = e => {
+      console.error('Tunnelbroker socket error:', e.message);
+    };
+    tunnelbrokerSocket.onmessage = (event: MessageEvent) => {
+      console.log('Received message:', event.data);
+    };
+
+    socket.current = tunnelbrokerSocket;
+  }, [connected, initMessage]);
 
   const sendMessage: () => Promise<void> = React.useCallback(() => {
     return new Promise(() => {});
   }, []);
 
   const addListener = React.useCallback(
     (listener: TunnelbrokerSocketListener) => {
       listeners.current.add(listener);
     },
     [],
   );
 
   const removeListener = React.useCallback(
     (listener: TunnelbrokerSocketListener) => {
       listeners.current.delete(listener);
     },
     [],
   );
 
   const value: TunnelbrokerContextType = React.useMemo(
     () => ({
       sendMessage,
       connected,
       addListener,
       removeListener,
     }),
     [addListener, connected, removeListener, sendMessage],
   );
 
   return (
     <TunnelbrokerContext.Provider value={value}>
       {children}
     </TunnelbrokerContext.Provider>
   );
 }
 
 function useTunnelbroker(): TunnelbrokerContextType {
   const context = React.useContext(TunnelbrokerContext);
   invariant(context, 'TunnelbrokerContext not found');
 
   return context;
 }
 
 export { TunnelbrokerProvider, useTunnelbroker };