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The goTenna Mesh concept was inspired by analog technology

You are hiking in the treacherous heart of The Outback. Poisonous red back spiders and king brown snakes silently stalk you as you pant, heave and sweat under the scorching sun. The sweltering heat is too much to bear, and you reach out to grab your water bottle from your backpack only to realise it’s completely drained.

Curses! You mutter to yourself, then call out to your friends. But your plea for help is met with only the crickety sounds of insects and hissing of nefarious slithery creatures. You have been separated and are now hopelessly lost. Your mobile phone has no service at all. You are doomed.

US-based startup goTenna wants to prevent that dire scenario from becoming reality. Its device, goTenna Mesh, allows users to send texts to their friends without the need for a cellular service.

Sometimes old-fashioned tech, with less moving parts, can prove to be more reliable. And that is what goTenna has turned to for inspiration.

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Essentially, goTenna Mesh works completely off-the-grid without relying on cellular towers, satellites or routers. Users can even switch the phone to airplane mode to save power. The only connection that is required is Bluetooth, which is ideal because it requires only minimal battery usage.

Then, using the goTenna app, users can send and broadcast text message and share GPS locations on offline maps with anyone on the goTenna app, as long as they are within 4.8km on an open terrtain and 1.8km in a dense area. Additionally, all messages have delivery confirmation receipts for added assurance.

How does it work?

In place of cellular service, goTenna leverages on a 1-watt UHF radio transmitter and a publicly available spectrum, transforming the smartphone into a hybrid walkie-talkie with texting capabilities.

For users who need to reach out to people far beyond the off-the-grid network, goTenna offers an app upgrade that allows goTenna Mesh users to relay their messages to other recipients through SMS, provided their phones have cellular service enabled. goTenna says it has devised a proprietary protocol called mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) for this purpose.

The beauty of this protocol is that as the network becomes bigger, the signal also becomes stronger, increasing the chances of messages transmitting successfully. If it still sounds too complicated, watch the demo below.

The implications of this new technology is groundbreaking. It is not only geared towards the thrill-seeking hikers or adventurers.  Disaster relief operations often operate in areas with non-functional infrastructure. With a battery life of 24+ hours, goTenna Mesh would go a long way in helping Aid workers coordinate and execute rescue and recovery missions.

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Given this, goTenna has partnered with Telecom Without Borders (Télécoms Sans Frontières – TSF). TSF has delivered emergency communication services in crisis-hit nations such as Syria, Nepal and Haiti.

And in countries that regularly experience mass power or network outages, this device would be essential in becoming a reliable backup for p2p communications.

But like first aid kits, even in the absence of emergencies, it is always prudent to have one kept in store. Because when shit hits the fan, the last thing you want to do is run out into the streets, desperately seeking for just one bar of cellular connection.

goTenna Mesh is currently on sale on its Kickstarter page for an early-bird price of US$149 for a pair. It has raised over US$570,000, far exceeding its goal of US$150,000.

Undoubtedly, this will become a hot item for Doomsday Preppers this Christmas.

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Image Credit: goTenna.

The post This device allows you to send texts through your phone without any service or SIM cards appeared first on e27.

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