bitchat
Phones form the local medium
Nearby devices relay messages over Bluetooth. Usefulness depends on compatible devices being close enough to participate.
View field-guide entry →Field note
Networks Beyond the Internet
What if ordinary Internet access is unavailable—or a community wants to operate part of the communications medium itself?
Phone-only / nearby
phone⇄phone⇄phone
bitchat · Bluetooth LEDedicated low-power radio
phone⇄LoRa node)))repeater)))LoRa node
Meshtastic / MeshCore · LoRa| System | Hardware | Medium | Typical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| bitchat | Compatible phone | Bluetooth Low Energy | Nearby phone-only messaging without ordinary Internet |
| Meshtastic | LoRa node, often paired with a phone | Low-power LoRa radio mesh | Long-range, low-bandwidth messaging and telemetry |
| MeshCore | LoRa companion, repeater, or room-server hardware | LoRa routed network | Structured community radio messaging |
Meshtastic
Low-power radio mesh
Dedicated LoRa nodes trade bandwidth for range and power efficiency. The network is suited to short messages and telemetry, not rich media.
View field-guide entry →MeshCore
Defined community node roles
Companion devices, repeaters, and room servers can form a more structured off-grid LoRa network.
View field-guide entry →Privacy and resilience are not automatic
Offline operation changes the network path; it does not remove metadata, device-security, key-management, radio-range, moderation, or governance questions. Review the exact version and threat model before relying on any system for sensitive or safety-critical communication.