Amid an internet blackout in Iran and connectivity problems in places including Lebanon and Iraq, apps based on mesh networks, such as Bitchat Mesh, are seeing a surge in popularity.
Unlike traditional internet connections, mesh networks do not depend on any particular service provider, central router or other digital elements that have become common over the past several decades.
Bitchat, a free app created by Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, uses the low-powered Bluetooth frequency included in almost all laptops and smartphones to allow users to chat without internet access, as long as the distance between them is not too great.
The more users with the app in a particular location, the stronger the signal.
First released in July, Bitchat Mesh soared to near the top of US and other mobile app download charts, but the excitement surrounding the platform was brief.
Downloads and use have started to surge again, particularly in places such as Iran, where the regime has imposed an internet blackout amid US and Israeli strikes.
In Lebanon, which is also facing strikes from Israel and internet connectivity issues, mesh-based networks are also experiencing renewed popularity.
According to AppFigures, which monitors the performance of mobile apps for various platforms, Bitchat Mesh has reached 25th in social media app downloads in Iraq, while in Lebanon it is ninth.
"It looks like virtual private network apps are at the top as well," said Adam Blacker, a public relations director for AppTopia, which monitors mobile platform statistics.
VPNs, however, are of little use if a country's rulers decide to largely eliminate internet access or if a country is experiencing problems with digital infrastructure.
AppTopia data provided to The National showed a significant increase in BitChat sessions for users in Iraq, Iran, Kuwait and Lebanon over the past few weeks.
"Bitchat downloads are surging across Iran," an unofficial X account, Bitchat Community, posted in addition to a retweet illustrating the severity of Iran's internet blackout.
Although Bitchat claims end-to-end encryption and greater security, it is not without faults.
"A recent audit revealed a cache-poisoning vulnerability in Bitchat," the platform's unofficial X account posted, before stating that an update of the app was quickly released to fix the vulnerability.
It has been speculated that, with technology rapidly improving and user enthusiasm for mesh networks climbing, apps such as Bitchat will soon offer more features and go mainstream. But not everyone shares in that view.
"People have played with this many times," wrote technology analyst Benedict Evans in a Thread post when Bitchat made its debut last year. "Bluetooth doesn't have the range for this and you have enough user density."
Yet for those living in densely populated areas with unreliable or non-existent internet, Bitchat appears to be getting the job done in providing a way to communicate.
Meanwhile, as of the writing of this story, Iran's internet blackout has passed 19 days, with 99 per cent of the country offline.
