Mesh networks therefore will require infrastructure for deployment in the form of access points to connect to the external network. The work concludes that mesh networks can scale and provide a sustained level of service as new users join as long as the density of such planned access points is kept sufficiently high.
This represents a form of ad hoc network in that users may join in an ad hoc manner, but the infrastructure itself must be planned and scaled, very much like cellular networks.
Such meshes will not be as quick to deploy as pure intra-meshes, however will still be quicker to install than any new wired or cellular system, so will still have clear benefits as an alternative in some applications.
An example application might be deployment to cover a new industrial park or a temporary conference event.
Thus we view meshes as likely to play a role in our vision of increasingly mobile communications, supporting the ability for mobile devices to increasingly connect to broadband networks at any location.
For a pure mesh network where there is no infrastructure to provide connections to external networks such as the internet, the benefits of rapid set-up and tear down are accrued. It is in this area that meshes were originally used in defence applications and are likely to find further application in emergency service operations where planned infrastructure is unavailable.