In the midst of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, a new mode of wireless communication is rising to prominence. Mesh networks, “off-the-grid” communication systems that don’t require cellular or Internet connections, have become the go-to for the hundreds of thousands of students participating in the recent rallies. Within the most popular existing network arrangements, there are evident drawbacks. The star arrangement and bus configuration, the most commonplace arrangements, are dependent on a singular hub to which many nodes – or rather, users – are connected to. These hub-centered configurations, while generally reliable, are prone to cutting off a node if a link is broken. A mesh network bypasses this risk of isolation, as each node is connected to at least two other nodes, to which more nodes are connected. It can be compared to the Internet, a cloud-style network in which all signals are interconnected in a plethora of possible combinations. The need for a designated router – and the risks of being disconnected from it – is eliminated; each node acts as a router for all the others it’s connected to. A mesh network is basically a giant, self-healing network of interconnected nodes that don’t need a central hub.
In March, Open Garden released an app called FireChat, which enables customers to open their own mesh network with other users. Its developers are calling for a “new era of open communications” and advocate for “freedom to access of information.” FireChat reportedly had 100,000 new downloads in the Hong Kong region between Sunday and Monday mornings following a tweet by student leader Joshua Wong. He encouraged his fellow students to download the app, citing as reasons the possibility of a government shutdown of cellular service and the sluggishness of networks due to increased activity.
Kate Knibbs on Gizmodo explains why this app has risen to such popularity in demonstrations:
“… there’s no easy way for a government to shut them down. They can’t just block cell reception or a site address. Mesh networks are like Voldemort after he split his soul into horcruxes (only not evil). Destroying one part won’t kill it unless you destroy each point of access; someone would have to turn off Bluetooth on every phone using FireChat to completely break the connection. This hard-to-break connection isn’t super important for casual chats, but during tense political showdowns, it could be a lifeline.”
Already, FireChat has been turned to in tense times, being a central element of communications in Taiwan protests earlier this year, and for Iraqis as their government limit connectivity in an attempt to restrain radical group ISIS. While it’s one of the first forays into the market for the general public however, FireChat isn’t the first of mesh networks to prove to be hugely beneficial. Mesh networks have been used often in large gatherings where Ethernet connections aren’t available, such as music festivals. During Hurricane Katrina, the downtown surveillance mesh network proved to be resilient, being the only communication system that remained operational during the storm. Escalating questioning in the realm of open communication and freedom of online expression have nudged mesh networks into beginning to surface from the underground. And with it, the first steps to unregulated, futuristic digital communications are fast approaching.
Sources: “New Orleans’ Wi-Fi network now a lifeline.” @ Computerworld “Mesh networks.” @ Computerworld “FireChat Messaging App Gains Users During Hong Kong Protests.” @ Wall Street Journal “Protesters Are Using FireChat’s Mesh Networks to Organize in Hong Kong.” @ Gizmodo “How Hong Kong Protestors Are Connecting, Without Cell Phone Or Wi-Fi Networks.” @ npr “This app could be using the future’s Internet.” @ The Daily Dot “FireChat.” @ Google Play Store