There are a few hardware plays like Ammbr, Gotenna, and a couple of others. We don't really view these as competitors, and in fact, they may be complimentary. Our big difference is that we are software-based and rely on the hardware that people already have. Jason, our Chief Networking Scientist, has said before: "Building a mesh when you control the hardware is easy. Not easy in that anyone could do it, but not as hard as trying to be software that can operate on any existing smartphone without rooting the device."

We chose to pursue software as a solution because as Marc Andreesen has said, "Software is eating the world." It spreads quickly at zero cost. In an emerging market, even a nominal hardware cost is a barrier that will inhibit growth.