Device-to-device file transfers are pervasive in many emerging markets, but users typically only share content with close friends or informal media vendors. We seek to facilitate ubiquitous device-to-device file transfers beyond one’s immediate social network.
Based on initial interviews with SHAREit users in India, we believe that there is widespread, latent desire for content that is not available from immediate friend groups: users would like to discover and transfer content within their geographic vicinity, and may even be willing to pay others to transport content to them. We seek to facilitate this ‘crowd powered’ delivery of media, by providing services such as a geo-tagged content directory and a remuneration system for transportation of content.
We are partnering with CGNet Swara to disseminate CGNet content using device-to-device transfers rather than (expensive) phone calls.
Slides from a vision talk for Sneakernet are available here:
https://eecs.berkeley.edu/~rcs/research/SneakernetInternet.pptx