The world’s largest mobile ad-hoc mesh network: panacea or pandemonium?

I’m sure you have already heard the news about Chrysler’s “in-car hotspot.” Apparently it creates a 50-foot envelope around the car enabling media services and other capabilities over 802.11. I can’t help but wonder though what the broader implications of this might be…

State troopers in the US have been using repeaters for a while – stick a car with a repeater in it on the highway and you can extend the effective reach of the base stations for miles and miles. If these new in-car wireless units can function as a repeater, you could blanket interstate roadways, city streets, and rest areas with Internet access by simply having enough cars in the area.

All this makes me wonder…

There are a limited number of channels available in the 802.11 space… if you have too many cars in one place combined with access points from homes, businesses, bookstores, and coffee shops interference is almost a guarantee. How is channel negotiation going to happen?

What about security? Will you have to encrypt your wireless? Will the wireless enable remote access to door locks, windows, and the ignition? Will police be able to tap into a car’s WiFi to shut it down remotely or broadcast emergency announcements over the car’s stereo? On the flip side, can a car drive up to an Enterprise and see the wireless networks within that business? Break into them?

The information says there will be a combination of WiFi and 3G – does that mean that any tether-capable phone with a USB connector can be used? Will consumers be locked into another proprietary service agreement based on technology that could age out in a few years?

I’m not too terribly excited about this until we learn more about how it works and what headaches and security risks it poses. I do know one group that won’t be pleased at all as these hot spots on wheels start cruising around the neighborhood. I wonder if there will be a "No wheeled-WiFi zone" created.

As for me, I remember when keeping a screwdriver, some duct tape, and a bottle of antifreeze in my car meant I could fix just about anything that went wrong. My mantra is “Simple is better.” The more you put in a car, the more that can go wrong with it.