In an article for Dimonoff, Founding President Bernard Têtu describes mesh networking as a topology in which any node on a network can act as a repeater, extending communication range across IoT deployments much like a spider web, where each intersection can relay information and automatically reroute if a connection fails.
Têtu outlines several advantages of the approach for urban environments. Mesh networks can get around natural obstacles such as hills, trees, and buildings that block direct sight lines, avoiding the dead zones that can affect cellular technologies. Multiple communication paths also improve reliability, since nodes can switch radio channels when they encounter interference, which matters for applications like street lighting. Because each node acts as its own router, the network needs less dedicated infrastructure, and it can theoretically extend very far as more nodes relay the signal, though real urban layouts rarely allow for a straight line of nodes.
Têtu also highlights that mesh networks set up and repair themselves automatically: new nodes commission themselves once associated with a gateway and receive firmware updates, and the network can search for another nearby gateway if the primary one becomes unavailable. He concludes that while mesh networking works well for urban asset management, some smart city projects may still call for other solutions depending on their specific requirements.