A new "trick" that will allow faster data downloads will use a mobile network that the Chinese operator 21Vianet.
Specifically, when a phone in the network does not have a good data signal, it will «borrow» the connection of a nearby device with a stronger signal, connecting to it via Wi-Fi. As noted in a MIT Technology Review publication, this technology—an application of a technique known as mesh networking—will likely reach soon other countries, including the USA.
According to M87, the American startup behind the technology, bandwidth sharing can accelerate download speed by 50% or more. This, as is easily perceived, would seem very useful in situations where the mobile phone signal is particularly weak. According to M87, two American providers are looking for ways to improve data coverage for mobile devices and are evaluating this technology. The company raised investment capital of three hundred million dollars earlier in the year, including funding from 21Vianet as well as the well-known mobile chip maker Qualcomm.
However, the «alternative» this technology has a small drawback: a device that provides connectivity to some other consumes additional battery. The CEO of M87, David Hampton, states that the loss is small and that a device can be set up so that it shares its connection only if it has more than 60% of its battery.
A common scenario is that of someone who is deep inside a building: his phone could improve its performance regarding data download by connecting to a device of someone near the window with a better signal. Inside a building devices can connect at a distance of about 10 to 16 meters, outside the building this distance increases to about 60 meters, according to Hampton.
The M87 technology requires pre‑installation of software from a provider company on mobile devices that use its network. The software runs in the background and continuously monitors the device’s data signal, while searching for other nearby devices that have the same software. As Hampton notes, the recommended settings «limit» the drain from a device to 10% or less of its battery within a day to «help» others.
Also, it is recommended that companies provide their customers the option to disable the “participation” of their device in this function. Currently, the M87 software is available only for Android.
Source: naftemporiki.gr
