Based on the concept of the Aerosolar Critical Mesh, Aeroscene and Avenir Institute are looking into utilising mesh networks as geo-independent infrastructure for what would become Aeropoleis. The goal of the project is to create a concept and a gesture that describes and demonstrates the technical feasibility of an alternative messaging system that enables reasonably modern digital communications without reliance on the Internet in any form.
There are similar projects to what we have been discussing in terms of end user functionality - most notably Google / Loon has one where they aim to bring the Internet accessible to remote areas through (non-Aerosolar) balloons BBC article 19 July 2018. The main differences to what is planned within Aeroscene are two aspects:
- The balloons of Loon are not Aerosolar but are filled with Helium
- The network is not an independent mesh network but aims to bring the geo-political Internet available to people
What we instead of are looking for, is a network that does not require instantaneous communication in a single reality (the Internet), or a given the geo-segment of it, as defined by geo-politics. An interesting model of messaging in particular has been introduced by Scuttlebutt Protocol, which does not make assumptions of the reliability or latency of the network used. In Scuttlebutt independently signed and encrypted pieces of messages are transferred and verified but there is not central server or database. The integrity of the data relies on private / public keys and no authority is needed for the verification of activity. Thus there is no authority that could be influenced or compromised.
Scuttlebutt would thus be a possible choice for the network of Aeropoleis, a network that is fundamentally fragmented and might have areas that never overlap - the network would not only allow decentralised communications but would also enable community based networks as seen fit. Data between the segments of networks could be transferred with the Scuttlebutt protocol as seen necessary, and one suggested vessel of transferring the payloads is indeed the Aerosolar balloon.
Below is an illustration of two Aeropoleis exchanging messages via scheduled Aerosolar balloon flights, each having a payload of messages in both ways.
