Yandex.Maps (as well as Google Maps, etc.), when will you start using mesh networks?

But for this there are very good prerequisites:

1. Territorial binding of the most frequently required quanta of information (images of a part of a map / scheme / satellite, metainformation about traffic jams, etc.)
   Much of the pedestrians using the map application in the vicinity of point A will use the maps of the area around point A. So, you can try to get the necessary information not from the server via the mobile Internet, but from another user.

   
   

2. The high cost of traffic to the server . Card applications are often used on mobile devices, which, in turn, use an expensive and rarely unlimited mobile Internet (discontent with this fact was expressed in Habré). Of course, a fragment of the map is not so hard, but we should not forget about the pitfalls like rounding up sessions in a big way. In addition, the speed of the mobile Internet often leaves much to be desired.
   Obviously, saving mobile traffic is a competitive advantage.

   
   

   The logical continuation of this policy is the presence of a tick "My Internet is unlimited" somewhere in the depths of the phone for altruists who allow their phone to be used as a repeater (so that others can save mobile traffic). But it is, utopia :-)

   
   
3. Predictable relevance and good data quantization . Traffic reports are updated with some predetermined frequency. Maps also do not redraw every day. It is enough to provide each quantum of information transmitted (or even each batch, which can include several quanta — mesh traffic is practically unlimited) with a time stamp and signature. Standard caching mechanisms (with ETags and Last-Modified) have not been canceled.

What does this text generally do on Habré ?!

It draws community attention to mesh networks and encourages discussion of their commercial (i.e., economic) use. I do not exclude that the answer of the Yandex will be "It’s not soon, because ..."; I hope that the discussion will unfold regarding the use of mesh-networks in this and related areas.

Now, in my humble understanding, the situation is such that mesh networks are indeed capable of changing the world - but on the condition that they receive support from a fairly large company (Google or Yandex will do). Otherwise, we will soon rest on the capacity of the radio broadcast or other, less objective reasons for restricting user traffic.