A proposed new type of cellphone technology would not need cellphone towers.

The idea from the University of Sweden is to create a new generation of mobile phones that can send messages directly from one phone to another. The advantage of this type of spontaneous network is that it can be used by everyone, without any special equipment, and it can be set up virtually instantly to solve problems that arise in a specific place.

But such networks bring not only great potential but also challenges, as gaps and network partitions can arise, so that nobody can forward a message. At the same time the use of batteries necessitates great energy efficiency. Mikael Asplund and his associates have designed a program that overcomes these difficulties when it is run on telephones, making it possible to deliver messages under extremely severe conditions.