[SHOBOKSHY]

There seems to be a fundamental misunderstanding about what M2M is. It is not about the underlying communication infrastructure. For better or worse, BlackBerry has gotten out of that mobile segment. Like the other mobile players, they leave that to the carriers, Wi-Fi device makers and Internet service providers. They build devices which utilize those standard data delivery methods.

In the early days, RIM had to be heavily involved in cellular data transmission because the carriers didn't know or care about that. Carriers came from the analog voice world. Most didn't know squat about digital packet radio. BlackBerry no longer needs to help them because that infrastructure is built.

So, should BlackBerry get into the mesh radio network business? Well you've got a few problems there. First, they have allowed early retirement (or layed off) most of their great radio engineers since they don't do that work now. Second, carriers don't want mesh as they know it will mean the end of their existence. They aren't going to be happy with a mobile device maker working on that. (Also, don't think the carriers won't use government to try and stop mesh.) And, mesh only works if every mobile and Wi-Fi device participates. I don't see how a mobile phone maker can convince other makers to join.

Yes, portable electric power is the major technical impediment to mesh.

Ya that's true, but if BlackBerry doesn't do it who will? Cuz it is only possible if phones support it.

Maybe when BlackBerry regains all market share then this feature will be useful.

Posted via CB10

[squished18]

The main challenge with implementing mesh networks is not a technical one, but an economic one. In order for you to get a workable network, you need to convince people to turn their devices into nodes. Without the right incentives people will refuse or just not bother.

Posted via CB10

[belfastdispatcher]

The main challenge with implementing mesh networks is not a technical one, but an economic one. In order for you to get a workable network, you need to convince people to turn their devices into nodes. Without the right incentives people will refuse or just not bother.

Posted via CB10

In UK BT have done that with Wifi for years, they offer you a few gb or hours of public Wifi use a month on BT open zone network. What they don't tell you is you have to turn your own Wifi router into a BT open zone router, a network that runs alongside your private one.

I'm not sure how successful it is.

Posted via CB10

[avroe]

Reading this thread reminded me of the olpc laptops that used wi-mesh as their primary communication method. I had some colleagues working in the area, and actually one is at Rim Ottawa now working on the wireless (of pb initially and now bb10).
Not that I think it's related to rim's intent, more the person's interests, but they certainly have the folks with the know-how.

CB10 on z10

[jrohland]

Reading this thread reminded me of the olpc laptops that used wi-mesh as their primary communication method. I had some colleagues working in the area, and actually one is at Rim Ottawa now working on the wireless (of pb initially and now bb10).
Not that I think it's related to rim's intent, more the person's interests, but they certainly have the folks with the know-how.

I really hope BlackBerry has the experts still. I would like to see them bring this technology to market. But under the current business management, this is research they are unlikely to take on.