LoRa-based Mesh Network for Off-grid Emergency Communications

The Philippines, being one of the most disaster-stricken countries in the world, is susceptible to property and infrastructure damage caused by natural calamities. During these times, most of the major telecommunication network infrastructures in the affected area become unusable. Thus, developing a robust, low-power, decentralized emergency communication network becomes necessary in order to coordinate the emergency response and relief efforts. In this paper, we propose a mesh network based on LoRa technology as a viable emergency communication tool. We implement a modified ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) routing protocol to enable mesh networking in LoRa. The modified AODV uses the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) as the routing metric. The performance of the proposed system was evaluated based on the packet delivery ratio (PDR). We demonstrate the feasibility of the developed system by transmitting text messages from one mobile phone to another through LoRa-based mesh network.