Fordem Core Local Mesh Communication System Toolset

Iranians often experience internet and cellular network shutdown, censorship, and throttling under the islamic state regime. These states of disconnection have always cost civilians precious lives. Accepting the network superiority of the regime has allowed its forces to murder our comrades numerous times.
The Core Local Mesh Communication System toolset (CLMCS) introduced here is being designed in order to enable seamless and efficient communication among civilians, and it is useful in a few critical scenarios. The toolset encompasses a local communication system over Wi-Fi Direct. In the absence of reliable internet connection, mobile applications can use CLMCS to form decentralized and interconnected citizen mesh networks using a hybrid of Wi-Fi Direct, LTE, and satellite internet.

Stakeholders: Iranian communities inside and in diaspora
Keywords: deploy, knowledge, local, communities

Project Objectives:

• Edge networking
• • Local and Global news, market, and economy
• Learning management system
• Civic communication for organization and mobilization
• Reliable connection to the free internet

Hardware elements for development and testing:

• Open source SDR: LimeSDR
• Android smartphones: Samsung Galaxy S3
• Satellite modem: Starlink
• WRT compatible WiFi Router: D-Link
• MSP-EXP432P401R LaunchPad
  *The devices mentioned above can be used by other teams once the 1st stable version is released

Hybrid mesh network scenarios:

• WiFi-Direct + legacy WiFi
• WFD Mesh + LTE
• LTE mesh + Starlink

In OSI Model:
Physical Layer: mesh-enabled WiFi & WiFi-Direct devices including routers, SDR, Starlink terminals
Data Link Layer, Network Layer, Transport Layer : CLMCS protocols.
Session Layer, Presentation Layer, Application Layer: CLMCS-enabled mobile application e.g Fordem.

Example scenarios:

• Passengers traveling on major public transportation systems (train/bus) who face censored internet or shutdown in cellular networks, particularly in times of social unrest can use CLMCS service programs to create large-scale networks in a reasonably short time. Data generated during the sessions will be synchronized among local peers, or globally when internet connection is available.

• Residential Building complex: because of the stationary nature of the nodes in this constellation, neighbors are able to form large and stable mesh networks. Moreover Starlink terminals and radio access networks implementing LTE act as uplink and downlink services.

• In a demonstration: communication over an independent mesh network can be a safe option during shutdowns and internet censorship. Any connection to the government run cellular networks can expose protesters’ location.

• Moving cars with onboard RAN and satellite internet will stream special updates throughout the city

• Connecting different locations of large cities (e.g., Tehran): Employing a combination of mesh-enabled routers, Wi-Fi extenders, SDR-RAN, and satellite terminals locally synchronized using DHT.

*Fordem Censorship-Resistant Digital Democracy Platform Project Extended Proposal
*sponsor: https://www.betterplace.org/en/projects/123115