Today's News |
RightMesh Announces Offline Emergency Communications App following USD $18 Million Financing (via Private Token Allocation)
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
Vancouver, BC, February 7, 2018--(T-Net)--RightMesh, a company using mesh networking and blockchain technology to enable offline connectivity has announced Flare™, a mesh-enabled application that will act as an "emergency communications kit" when all other forms of communication fail.
Flare is in its final prototype testing phase and is scheduled for public release in Q2 of this year.
RightMesh is the world's first software-based, ad hoc mobile mesh networking platform and protocol, according to the company.
It was created by the team at Maple Ridge-based Left. Since Left's founding in 2010, the company has grown to become a multinational media and technology company with holdings in mobile and Internet-based businesses.
"With 2 offices and about 100 developers in Bangladesh, we have experienced firsthand the pain of subpar connectivity", shares CEO and Co-founder, John Lyotier. "Our own developers provided the catalyst for RightMesh when they developed a rudimentary offline communications app to use as an in-office work around. With more than half the world lacking connectivity and all the economic and social benefits that come with it, we knew then that developing what has evolved into RightMesh was the 'right' thing to do."
Mesh networks allow smartphones and IoT devices to piggyback off each other as nodes in a network, rather than forcing all devices to rely on one central tower.
This piggybacking effect uses the radio technology already inherent in the devices (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi direct), and each "node" spreads the radio signal a little further than the last. A recent example of this technology used successfully in a disaster was when a mesh network in Red Hook helped people communicate when the internet was down after Hurricane Sandy, or when protesters used a mesh network in Hong Kong to organize off the grid.
"The recent tsunami alert right here in British Columbia reminds us just how quickly a disaster can strike. We are building Flare to help those in need at times when the Internet, Social Media and mobile connectivity are not available." says Lyotier.
This technology is game-changing for rural or remote areas that rely only on internet service providers (ISPs) fixed wireless and satellite facilities without access to LTE networks. The digital divide is real, and is much closer to home than most realize.
CBC reported that in 2016, there were six million Canadians living in rural areas, which means that nearly one million people did not have have broadband access that year. Surprising to many - this includes people that live just ten minutes outside the nation's capital, the article reports.
Wireless signals may be affected by distance from towers, or by terrain or weather conditions; similarly, cable and digital subscriber line (DSL) technologies may be affected by distance and other factors.
Earlier this month, RightMesh launched a pilot in Rigolet, Labrador for an app called eNuk. It was conceived of by a Rigolet resident and built by a combination of community members, local government officials, and researchers at Newfoundland's Memorial University and the University of Guelph in Ontario. RightMesh will help establish a mesh network for the town to support the eNuk app.
"There are towns in the Canadian north with only one cell tower, meaning congested, expensive, and unreliable access. We believe that the RightMesh technology can be a catalyst for positive growth in these remote communities by enabling connectivity. The United Nations has actually deemed connectivity to be a basic human right because of the economic and social benefits that it provides." said Lyotier.
The mesh-enabled Flare app is intended to serve as a staple in any emergency preparedness kit. Just as people stock up on bottled water, people can download the Flare app as a backup for communication in case of disruption to phone and Internet service.
Key features under development include:
Peer-to-peer text, photo, audio and location messages
Send an Emergency "Flare" — blast messages for help, sent to anyone available in the mesh
Ability to post and respond to requests for items such as water, pet food, or a generator
Ability to share location on downloaded maps so users can geolocate each other
An additional concept RightMesh has been developing is a drone that can function as a node in the mesh to enhance Flare's utility to help rescue efforts. With the autonomous connectivity of the mesh network, the drone could fly over affected areas and instantly detect autonomous blast messages or 'Flares' asking for help from within 100 metres or anyone that is mesh connected. The drone could then return to a base or Internet-connected zone to relay the information to rescue workers.
The overarching mission of RightMesh is to connect the world using only the devices people already own - smartphones and IoT devices. RightMesh enables direct peer-to-peer connectivity via Wi-Fi, W-Fi direct and Bluetooth without the need for a central internet service provider (ISP). RightMesh mobile mesh networks are self-forming, self-healing and self-regulating.
RightMesh recently raised USD$18.0M in a Private Token Allocation round which was oversubscribed within one week of opening, demonstrating confidence in the RightMesh technology as well as being a positive precursor to their public Token Generating Event (ICO) on February 15th
About RightMesh
RightMesh GmbH (a Swiss Company in incorporation), incubated by multi-award winning parent company Left, who itself is a certified B-Corporation located in Canada, is on a mission to bring connectivity to the next billion users by multiplying the combined power of blockchain, mesh networking, and its own RMESH tokens. RightMesh wireless networks are self-forming, self-healing, and self-regulating, using various technologies in existing smartphones and IoT devices rather than relying on traditional infrastructure and Internet Service Providers. RightMesh's networking technology is already used in a content-sharing and local messaging app called YO! which has received over 1 million installs and is actively used in emerging markets. Additionally, RightMesh Further applications are being developed via the RightMesh SDK, a free platform and protocol for use by others who want to build or retrofit additional mesh applications.
This announcement does not constitute a prospectus of any sort; it is not a solicitation for investment and does not in any way pertain to an offering of securities in either Canada or the United States, and Canadian and United States residents are expressly excluded from contributing in exchange for any RightMesh Tokens in the public contribution period. This release constitutes a description of the RightMesh platform and the functionality of the RightMesh tokens; it is for informational purposes only and may change as the RightMesh technology develops over time.