Petition the FCC to open up the 900 mhz, 2.4ghz and 5 ghz bands to allow amateur radio with encryption. If that ever happens, meshnets become feasible over longer distances using directional antennas. As it stands, amateur radio operators are allowed to use those frequencies, but they can't carry traffic to the general internet because most internet traffic is encrypted and it is illegal to broadcast an encrypted signal without FCC approved hardware. Legal power and gain limits on residential wifi prevents long distance links from being possible, not technical difficulty. (A homebrew antenna can rx/tx wifi over a mile (directionally) but it's illegal to do so.)
Intercity and international links for meshnets are also technically difficult issues to tackle.
[–] ACatIsFineToo 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Petition the FCC to open up the 900 mhz, 2.4ghz and 5 ghz bands to allow amateur radio with encryption. If that ever happens, meshnets become feasible over longer distances using directional antennas. As it stands, amateur radio operators are allowed to use those frequencies, but they can't carry traffic to the general internet because most internet traffic is encrypted and it is illegal to broadcast an encrypted signal without FCC approved hardware. Legal power and gain limits on residential wifi prevents long distance links from being possible, not technical difficulty. (A homebrew antenna can rx/tx wifi over a mile (directionally) but it's illegal to do so.)
Intercity and international links for meshnets are also technically difficult issues to tackle.