Encouraging cooperation in Ad-Hoc mobile-phone mesh networks for rural connectivity

Abstract

This paper proposes a rating based incentive scheme for encouraging user participation in ad-hoc mobile phone mesh networks. These peer-to-peer networks are particularly attractive for remote/rural areas in developing countries as they do not depend on costly infrastructure and telecom operators. Active user participation is however critical for the success of such a network. We evaluate our incentive scheme using extensive simulations and find that our proposed scheme is successful in enhancing the network throughput. © 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.