this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2023
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@linux any global mesh networks that could replace ISP's?

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[–] stown@sedd.it 8 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

How would you propose connecting to a mesh network without the use of an ISP? Are you thinking wireless (wifi)? For something like that to work you would need an AP/repeater every 150 feet or so. How would you cross oceans without bouncing wireless signals off the ionosphere (creating latency issues) or using a cable (requiring some entity to maintain it - $$$)?

If you break it down into the requirements to do such a thing you can start to understand why your question is a bit ridiculous.

[–] VENMusica@mastodon.social -2 points 2 years ago (1 children)

@stown I don't think its ridiculous, especially given how they've strung cables across the ocean haha

[–] stown@sedd.it 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

"They" = companies with money to invest and profits to be had.

[–] VENMusica@mastodon.social -4 points 2 years ago

@stown got to dig a little deeper, who owns these companies?

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

What's the purpose on replace ISP's? Create a new whole mesh of ISP's from scratch?

[–] senslayer@lemmy.ml 9 points 2 years ago

From what I understand it's the final form of decentralization. The idea is that a bunch of user/community owned computers communicate with each other and act like an alternative community based internet provider. Big cities already implement some form of this like NYC.

[–] VENMusica@mastodon.social -3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

@BaalInvoker get rid of the major telecoms companies who spy on us all

[–] BaalInvoker@lemmy.eco.br 7 points 2 years ago (2 children)

Ah, ok. You're just paranoid.

Guess what. If your data pass through any node, ISP or not, you can be spied.

[–] Rustmilian@lemmy.world 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)

"paranoid" assumes that it's unjustified suspicion of someone or something. However it's a well known fact that ISPs may spy on users as it's been exposed to happen in the past...

[–] VENMusica@mastodon.social -1 points 2 years ago

@BaalInvoker not paranoid, beyond observation, straight up control over who gets access and not. CBDC social credit system depends on centralized structures

[–] hallettj@beehaw.org 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I remember reading about a "guerilla wifi" mesh network in NYC, and I did a bit of research on connecting to that several years ago. It turned out I was too far away from Manhattan to be in range. But also from what I read a series of small-scale peer-to-peer connections don't give you the low-latency or throughput of a good backbone.

[–] hallettj@beehaw.org 3 points 2 years ago

Actually I'd like to add a note about how much I appreciate infrastructure. It would be great if we could all equally own and control the Internet. But when you get down to it, societies pooling their efforts can do things that small, independent groups can't, such as building tier 1 network backbones.

Looking at it another way, if you did have a global mesh network it would be made up of electronics that take tremendous systems of supply chains and factories to build and distribute. That's sort of the same idea: large-scale infrastructure that small groups can't pull off.

If I had my way I would keep the large-scale networks, but change the governance model to shift the primary organizational motivation from profit to human wellbeing.