Bitchat is a new peer-to-peer messaging app that communicates without a centralised server or phone network.
- Bitchat relies on Bluetooth Low Energy Mesh Networking to enable communication.
What is Bluetooth Mesh Networking?
- It relies on Bluetooth clusters or a Mesh network created by devices within a range.
- Mesh network, also known as “multi-hop network”, is a networking topology.
- In it, data can travel from any device to all others, achieving many-to-many communication.
- Even if one device fails, the network keeps working.
- Messages are broadcast and relayed by nodes until they reach the intended destination.
- When a Bluetooth device joins a Mesh network, it becomes a node
Potential Benefits of Bluetooth Mesh Networking
- No central database: the messages are stored entirely on users’ devices and are deleted after a short period.
- This design is created to prioritise users’ privacy.
- Also, Messages are end-to-end encrypted and do not leave the network.
- No registration required: Users are not required to create accounts using their email or phone number, making the communication anonymous.
- Other: Low Power Consumption, etc.
Key Limitations: high latency, Complex network management, low data transfer rates, etc.