The Mesh Economy: How Blockchain and Alternative Networks can Bridge the Digital Divide and Facilitate Economic Inclusion
John B. Hooks · Between science and economics · 2019
Mesh networking and blockchain technologies are reshaping the telecommunications industry and bringing the promise of economic empowerment to areas currently not served or underserved by traditional service providers. By combining both, it is possible to provide easy and affordable access to the Internet. Several non-blockchain Alternative Community Networks (ACNs) are now successfully deployed around the world. One such case, Guifi.net, has contributed to building the largest community network, with an annual turnover of millions of euros and the creation of dozens of direct jobs. Nevertheless, there continues to be an ongoing debate on how to make them economically sustainable and scalable. The implementation of a blockchain-enabled mesh network and other tools producing extensive data sets will allow characterization of key parameters in the deployment and operation of these infrastructures. This could economically empower those who do not have Internet connectivity, access to non-traditional financial services, and capital.