Beartooth Relay Protocol: Supporting Real-Time Application Streams over LoRa

TL;DR

This paper introduces Beartooth, a relay protocol and LoRa radio extension that enables real-time application streams over infrastructure-less networks, expanding mobile connectivity beyond traditional cellular and WiFi coverage.

Contribution

The paper presents a novel LoRa-based relay protocol supporting real-time traffic, addressing the gap in infrastructure-less connectivity for mobile applications.

Findings

Supports real-time streams over LoRa networks

Enables multihop communication without existing infrastructure

Extends mobile application reach beyond coverage areas

Abstract

The near-ubiquitous availability of wireless connectivity lets users take advantage of a large variety of mobile applications. This connectivity predominantly comes as cellular and WiFi, limiting users to available infrastructure. At the same time, commercial efforts for infrastructure-less connectivity do not support mobile application traffic. In this paper, we present a new LoRa radio and a relay protocol capable of supporting real-time application traffic on point-to-point and multihop connection. Our solution has the potential to extend mobile application functionality beyond infrastructure coverage areas.