Swedish Company Trials Peer-to-Peer Cellphones

Dr_Barnowl writes "A company named TerraNet is going through a trial period for a p2p based mobile telephony system. Phones are used to route calls onto other phones, constructing mesh networks of 'up to 20km'. The BBC reports on the natural tendency of the big telecoms providers to want to squash this. I can see other problems though. The advantages in an environment with sparse cell coverage are obvious, but network effects mean that the number of connections in a heavily populated mesh grow exponentially. What happens to your battery life when your phone becomes a node? And while the company is optimistic that they have a viable technology model from IP licensing, the demand for devices supporting this is going to be proportional to the number of devices that it can connect you to."

Comments

countdown to filesharing

[rucs_hack]

I'd give it a year after this implemented and people will be routinely sharing music over this system.

Then there will be uproar from the music police, and they will insist on such draconian anti piracy measures that the technology will become all but unusable.

Or am I being pessimistic.

Re:Privacy Concerns Anyone?

[Neil Watson]

The phone call is already going through the air for anyone one with the will and know-how to intercept.