Mesh networks are the way of the future, as they put power in the hands of the consumer rather than the mobile operators, says Clickatell development manager Gary Cousins.
Cousins, who will address Futurex Cape 2004: The Conference at the end of the month, believes mesh networks will be the way of the future. "People are already setting up their own WiFi networks around Johannesburg and Cape Town. With the legislation coming in next year, we will see more and more people converting to mesh networks.
"The fundamental thing is the paradigm shift it will offer. The consumers will be empowered and will no longer be at the mercy of large telecoms conglomerates."
In his presentation, Cousins will take a futuristic view of where telecoms is going, covering grid computing, mesh networks and peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. "It will be a different view of how telecoms is perceived today. With regards to P2P, I will look at Skype, and how it is a threat to global telecoms."
Cousins says he will also discuss the advent of smart phones, and their influence on the telecoms industry. "Telkom is a centralised, controlled network, so at the moment we just have 'dumb` phones that can`t really do anything available to us. With the functionality of smart phones, more and more power will migrate to the edge of the network."
Cousins will also look at how telecoms will be influenced in the future and the best business strategies to take advantage of the changing environment.
Futurex Cape 2004: The Conference will be held on 29 and 30 September at the Cullinan Hotel. To register, click here.
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