March 2009
Mesh Networks 101 – Advantages and Uses
College of Technology Track, Tues, March 17, 8:00 am - 12:00 pm (4 Hours)
Martin Suter, VP, Business Development, BelAir Networks
Lokesh Bali, Richmond CA Police Department

mesh is not a market

mesh is not muni

mesh is a technology

Suter’s definition of a mesh network:
A flat network topology comprised of
picocells, each of which with
integrated, redundant backhaul, and
capable of relaying data over multiple hops

How did I end up at IWCE
talking about
mesh networks 101?

In the past 8 years, I’ve…
• Worked for 5 “mesh” companies
• Been on both the “buy” and “sell” side
• Evangelised both proprietary & standards-based
approaches
• Met with most companies in the industry, large and
start-up, from chips to systems
• Worked with the earliest adopter customers
• Been to all the conferences, talked to all the analysts
• Seen what has worked, and what hasn’t

Once upon a time…
…a technology is announced that
generates significant press and
industry interest.

There’s a period of over-enthusiasm and unrealistic
projections, a flurry of well-publicized activity by
technology leaders…some successes, but more failures…
The only enterprises making money are conference
organizers and magazine publishers.

Because the technology doesn’t live up to its
over-inflated expectations, it rapidly
becomes unfashionable.
Media interest wanes, except for a few cautionary tales.

However, focused experimentation and hard work by an
increasingly diverse range of organizations
lead to a true understanding of the
technology’s applicability, risks and
benefits…

This is the Gartner Technology Hype Cycle

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle
Technology Trigger
Peak of Inflated
Expectations
Trough of Disillusionment
Slope of Enlightenment
Plateau of Productivity

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle
Years to mainstream adoption:
obsolete
less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years more than 10 years before plateau
Graphic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

In the beginning (ca 2000)…

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle: Mesh
Key Broadband Wireless Technologies
10/2000
MeshNetworks
licenses DARPA
IP, Raises $28m
Years to mainstream adoption:
obsolete
less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years more than 10 years before plateau
Graphic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

The pioneers
Commercial,outdoor, mobile, broadband,
ad hoc mesh networks

Originally developed for next-
gen, battlefield communications

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle: Mesh
Key Broadband Wireless Technologies
05/2003
Companies
getting funded
on “mesh” hype
“2-5 years to
plateau”
10/2000
MeshNetworks
licenses DARPA
IP, Raises $28m
Years to mainstream adoption:
obsolete
less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years more than 10 years before plateau
Graphic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

Early on, it was all about the
routing algorithms…
AODV TBPRF
Scalability, “make before break”, convergence
times, cross-layer optimization, Layer 2
routing, self-forming, self-healing…

Then it became about the
radios…
proprietary standards
Mobility, interoperability, data rates,
client meshing, fixed vs. ad hoc…

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle: Mesh
Key Broadband Wireless Technologies
08/2004
Motorola
Acquires
MeshNetworks
05/2003
Companies
getting funded
on “mesh” hype
“2-5 years to
plateau”
10/2000
MeshNetworks
licenses DARPA
IP, Raises $28m
Years to mainstream adoption:
obsolete
less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years more than 10 years before plateau
Graphic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle: Mesh
Key Broadband Wireless Technologies
10/2005
Earthlink Announces
Philadelphia
08/2004
Motorola
Acquires
MeshNetworks
05/2003
Companies
getting funded
on “mesh” hype
“2-5 years to
plateau”
10/2000
MeshNetworks
licenses DARPA
IP, Raises $28m
Years to mainstream adoption:
obsolete
less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years more than 10 years before plateau
Graphic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

Then it became about network
ownership…
Public Private
Muni-wireless, Digital
Divide, ubiquitous coverage…

(The “Solve World Hunger” phase)

Not a cure for world
hunger

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle: Mesh
Key Broadband Wireless Technologies
10/2005
Earthlink Announces
Philadelphia
08/2004
Motorola
Acquires
MeshNetworks
05/2003
Companies
getting funded
on “mesh” hype
“2-5 years to 05/2006
plateau” St.
Cloud, Chaska, e
tc. disappoint
10/2000
MeshNetworks
licenses DARPA
IP, Raises $28m
Years to mainstream adoption:
obsolete
less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years more than 10 years before plateau
Graphic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

Then it became about the
number of radios…
Single Multi
Hidden node, throughput
degradation, 1/n, capacity…

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle: Mesh
Key Broadband Wireless Technologies
10/2005
Earthlink Announces
Philadelphia
08/2004
Motorola
Acquires
MeshNetworks
05/2003
Companies
08/2007
getting funded
Minneapolis
on “mesh” hype
Network
“2-5 years to 05/2006
plateau” St. Cloud,
Chaska, etc.
disappoint
10/2000
MeshNetworks
licenses DARPA
IP, Raises $28m
Years to mainstream adoption:
obsolete
less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years more than 10 years before plateau
Graphic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

Gartner Technology Hype Cycle: Mesh
Key Broadband Wireless Technologies
10/2005
Earthlink Announces
Philadelphia
08/2004
Motorola 2008
Acquires Richmond, CA
MeshNetworks Public Safety Wi-Fi project
05/2003
Companies
08/2007
getting funded
Minneapolis
on “mesh” hype
Network
“2-5 years to 05/2006
plateau” St. Cloud,
Chaska, etc.
disappoint
10/2000
MeshNetworks
licenses DARPA
IP, Raises $28m
Years to mainstream adoption:
obsolete
less than 2 years 2 to 5 years 5 to 10 years more than 10 years before plateau
Graphic source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hype_cycle

Then, finally it became about
applications & benefits…
Video Data
Real-time, Rapid deployment, crime
reduction, force multiplier…

So where does a mesh make sense?

Lack of wired infrastructure
High capacity injection required
Portable, temporary deployments