SmartMesh: The Internet, Block-"changed"
Henry Wang, Founder & CEOChannelizing the Blockchain Impact
The blockchain technology can be regarded as one of the biggest game changers since the advent of the internet. To put things in perspective, blockchain is to transparency, and much more, the way internet is to communication. The tech’s implications have impacted various verticals, including entertainment, healthcare, information security, and not to mention, the financial space where it has redefined payment mechanisms by imparting more power to the people rather than centralized banking structures. Decentralization is the underlying principle and foundation upon which blockchain thrives, and this is where today’s internet infrastructures— being centralized in nature— restrict blockchain from realizing its potential to truly convey benefits for users across the world.
“Four billion people in the world have no access to the internet. And around two billion people do not hold any bank account,” says Wang. SmartMesh is spearheading the efforts for offline collaboration and blockchain-backed payments, through a vision of a decentralized parallel equivalent of the internet as we know it. The benefits associated with such an ecosystem are multi-pronged and include efficient energy utilization, enhanced privacy, robust security, deeper internet penetration, and more. Alternatively, SmartMesh comes out as a valuable offering wherever there is heavy internet traffic congestion such as disaster struck areas, or concerts, or practically anywhere the standard telecom-backed internet hasn’t had its reach.
The SmartMesh Foundation
With Wang at the helm, The SmartMesh foundation— with dedicated wings pertaining to network deployment, developer community, technology R&D, and market development—has its roadmap planned to re-invent the way the world accesses the internet.
It is this future of communication that SmartMesh represents: a parallel internet—an open, unbiased internet—the way it is originally meant to be
SmartMesh’s novel blockchain-based networking protocol can establish connections between any mobile device, and even IoT devices for that matter, by positioning them as nodes that can self-organize and form flexible, decentralized, and self-repairing Mesh Networks. With the SmartMesh app, offline users can scan for and communicate with any nearby user and share multimedia files as well.
The company has devised strategic feature sets to increase user adoption, such as introducing their own cryptocurrency, the SMT, which users can mine when they share their nodes. This additionally opens up opportunities that facilitate micropayments. Furthermore, to make their payment currency agnostic, SmartMesh extends the revolutionary Raiden network protocol for “off-chain” and token-less payments. In short, blockchain which acts as a secondary architecture within SmartMesh enables the network to handle payment volumes that are at par with that of today’s major credit card entities. The company’s innovation labs are currently developing a new blockchain standard called Atmosphere for cross-chain interaction, supporting any type of cryptocurrency. TrustMesh is another one of the company’s innovative proposals through which users can settle payments, utilize credit-based consumption, and also engage in e-commerce activities in environments without internet accessibility.
MeshBox, a home box-like NaaS asset, provides the novel data-routing protocol within the SmartMesh network and serves as the gateway to enable cross-network communication. Users can store their data in their own MeshBox upon which IM and social networks can mirror or link to. Users can also set up customized access policies for data protection, privacy, and security wherein both paid and free-access modes can be established. With its architecture, MeshBox can overcome emergency telecommunication network disruptions, enable file-sharing capabilities among communities in a cheaper and more convenient manner without having to rely on mobile operator network packages. Enterprises that leverage mesh networks built around MeshBox can ensure utmost privacy. MeshBox will nullify the monopoly that major networking hardware manufacturers like Cisco and Huawei have in the market and will place the assurance of trust and privacy back on the people.
Building a Mini-Network on a Disconnected Island
In the Vanuatu islands of the South Pacific, where electricity infrastructure is weak and network lines, non-existent, MeshBoxes with broadcasting radii of 1.2 miles, are all set to be deployed. The program plans to leverage solar power to prove minimal electricity consumption. The outcome? The residents of the island, by onboarding the SmartMesh ecosystem, can freely network through mobile phones and smart devices to share digital content. The grand takeaway, however, is that the whole ecosystem can be built to go up and running in a mere day’s time.
Even in its embryonic stage, SmartMesh has created ripples in the tech community; their chatting app has amassed more than 100,000 downloads in a few days since launch. “Based on existing technological advantages and resources, SmartMesh will continue to develop the underlying IoT protocol, and integrate it with the world’s top off-internet communication companies to devise a uniform standard for global IoT communications. At the same time, the SmartMesh Foundation will introduce various application scenarios based on the SmartMesh protocol through third-party development teams,” concludes Wang.
