The Networkless Network

Abstract

The advancements in semiconductor technologies had a significant impact on the evolution of the mobile networks and the devices. With the advent of smartphones, it is now possible for telephony and VAS to be rendered by platforms which are not a part of the mobile network itself but powered by ‘Over the Top’ players like Whatsapp. The mobile network as it stands today, plays the role of delivering the fat pipe to the mobile users required for these applications. The network itself is lesser involved in delivering VAS to its users. Never the less, we still need a network to serve its mobile users. Is it feasible for a mobile device to communicate with another mobile device bypassing the mobile network for all services and agnostic to the distance between the devices? Staying within the framework of 5G , ‘Device to Device’ communication may be possible but only when the devices are in proximity with each other. It is imperative that we need to explore the feasibility to develop a solution where the devices can communicate and roam in absence of a layer 7 network and remain agnostic to the distance between the devices. If that is possible, we may find a way to replace the existing layer 7 mobile network with just a layer 1 access. The outcome is obvious: ‘A Network-less Network’. The prosaic signalling procedures related to a mobile network, specifically addressing, mobility and location management can be directly actuated by the mobile devices. In this chapter we investigate the viability and practicality of developing and implementing such a network solution.