Nov 13

For a while I've been considering how to break free of "internet providers" - be it Comcast or Verizon FiOS or whoever. WiMax seems promising, but you're just substituting one provider for the next. But what if everything was connected?

 

Bonjour by Apple automatically discovers devices....why can't this be adapted to the WAN?

OK, here's my concept...why not simply develop a protocol, like Apple's Bonjour (which is also open source and a standard) and have it configure a wide area network. Granted, I'm probably over-simplifying and there are many levels of complexities (I'm not a network engineer)...but really, it seems to me all the technology exists, there just isn't the will to put it all together.

 

Consider this. Smart phones have WiFi enabled and GPS. Routers too (although not all support GPS, but there's technology for this too). And even cars are coming with GPS and "access" too (albeit cellular). But what if, all these devices also support BonJour Mesh - a new protocol that recognizes all nearby devices and creates a "mesh network" - allowing all these devices to communicate. 

 

Bonjour by Apple can already do this for local networks. What's missing is the ability to position and communicate with "external devices". This is where GPS comes in. Basically, why not use the GPS coordinates to further identify "hosts" thereby allowing them to be unique and "meshed". Yes, there'd have to be some sort of "sandboxing" or security in place that allows communication between devices to hop from one device to the other without permitting access to a non-destination device. But that already occurs now - it's what the internet is built on - devices pass data along one packet at a time until they reach their destination.

 

The mesh network could exist (today possibly if someone is smart enough to do it).

DARPA is working on self organizing and communicating mini-robots - so I've read in Wired - that have a sort of swarm mentality. This is accomplished by mesh-like communications. So it's not a leap to achieve the same with today's technology. Imagine if every smart phone, router, computer, car, and/or applicances (yeah TVs, Microwaves, Fridges) all incorporated a BonJour Mesh protocol. Simply by being near other devices - you'd become part of the network. In most areas - such as my neighborhood or office - the "mesh network" would go on uninterrupted for 100s if not 1000s of miles.

 

Yeah, I'm in the densely populated NorthEast, but even in large open areas it could work. Remember cars, trucks, everything could become part of the Mesh in the future....so depending on distances between cars on the highway....the network could be maintained. And yeah...I suppose...any large gaps could be filled in with standard telcos and providers. After all...it'd be hard to go transcontinental without them....or would it?

WiFi could be free and limitless

Perhaps it's a dream beyond today's reality. But I do believe a Mesh Network is coming. The internet is essentially it, but at a large scale. However, it's still mostly dependent on junction points - central hubs. As communications scale down and devices become smarter and more aware of where they are (GPS-wise) - I think they'll start to eliminate the need for central-style routing.

 

Until then, I'll continue to dream of being able to break free of the telcos and ISPs of the world. I do think it'll happen someday - but then again, someone will probably figure out a way to charge you to be part of the mesh.