2nd generation wireless mesh networks: technical, economical and social challenges

Abstract — Wireless mesh networks have the potential to provide ubiquitous high-speed Internet at low costs. The good news is that initial deployments of WiFi meshes show the feasibility of providing ubiquitous Internet access. However, their performance is far below the necessary and achievable limit. Moreover, users subscription in the existing meshes is dismal even though the technical challenges to get connectivity are low. This paper provides an overview of the current status of mesh network deployment and highlights the technical, economical and social challenges that need to be addressed in the next years. I