PropertyValue
?:author
?:datePublished
  • 2017-09-07 (xsd:date)
?:headline
  • Can the 'FireChat' App Send Messages Without an Internet Connection? (en)
?:inLanguage
?:itemReviewed
?:mentions
?:reviewBody
  • As a series of hurricanes made landfall in August and September 2017, those living in the affected areas have been searching for a communication tool that would enable them to send messages in the event of a service outage. An app called FireChat is one of the most widely suggested tools, due to its purported ability to send messages without an internet connection: FireChat truly does work without an internet connection. However, it also has some limitations. The app's web site indicates that it uses Bluetooth or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi to send messages between phones that are less than 70 meters (or about 210 feet) apart. If multiple Firechat users are in the same area, a chain of phones can be created to send messages longer distances: In other words, FireChat wouldn't be able to send a text message from Miami, Florida to Seattle, Washington (a distance of more than 3,000 miles) unless an unbroken chain of tens of thousands of FireChat users spanned that distance. However, it can be used to send messages within a community of FireChat users without the Internet: The MIT Technology Review explained more about how the app works in an article that was published shortly after FireChat's initial release in 2014: Christophe Daligault, the vice president of sales and marketing for the app, told NPR that it works on a mesh network: The FireChat app can send messages without Internet service as stated. However, the app does some have limitations. Potential users, especially those searching for an emergency communication tool to use during a natural disaster, should visit the FireChat home page to make sure that they understand how the app works: (en)
?:reviewRating
rdf:type
?:url