An area with no communication networks, a team spread across the field, and a line of communication that cannot fail. With those three together, a phone on its own can do nothing. What you need is a network where the devices talk to each other directly.
BosApp and BosMag and how the mesh network grows">
It is usually one of three things
Losing contact in the field rarely starts with a disaster. Most of the time one of these three is enough: the network has collapsed after an emergency, the area never had coverage to begin with, or there is coverage but it dies in a valley, a tunnel or deep inside a building.
All three end the same way. The team spreads out and nobody knows where anyone is.
How it works
There is not much to learn on the setup side. Three steps and it is running.
- Attach BosMag to your phoneThe device sits on the back of the phone with its magnetic holder and pairs over Bluetooth. You do it once, and after that it connects on its own.
- Write your message in BosAppThe interface is no different from the messaging apps you use daily. Pick a contact, type, send.
- The message reaches your teamBosMag passes it over radio frequency to the other devices in range. No base station and no satellite needed.
This chain works even with the phone in flight mode, because the phone's mobile radio is never part of it.
The network grows with the team
In a conventional communication system, congestion starts as the number of users goes up. In a mesh network the opposite happens.
Every device that joins is also a relay. So if a teammate happens to be standing between you and someone further away, their device carries your message onward without them even noticing. A single device reaches up to 5 kilometres in open terrain, and every device in between multiplies that distance.
In practice this means your coverage does not shrink as the team spreads across the terrain. It expands. Wherever the team goes, the network stretches in that direction.
More than messages
Over the same connection you can share your location, see where the team is on the map, and send an emergency alert by pressing the button on the device. The map works offline, so you keep seeing it in an area with no coverage at all.
When you come back into coverage the system switches to working over the internet, and everything that happened in the meantime syncs with the server. The user does not trigger that switch; it happens by itself.
Where it earns its place
Search and rescue teams use it for debris and terrain sweeps. Construction, energy and mining sites choose it because crews are spread over a wide area. Groups doing outdoor sports rely on it to avoid losing each other on routes with no coverage. At large events it takes over in the moments when sheer crowd numbers clog the mobile network.
Frequently asked questions
Does it really work with my phone in flight mode?
Yes. The message never uses the phone's mobile radio. BosApp hands it to the BosMag device over Bluetooth, and the device sends it over radio frequency. Flight mode does not affect any link in that chain.
Does everyone on the team need a device?
Everyone who wants to communicate needs a BosMag, because a phone on its own cannot join this radio network. The more devices on the team, the better both the coverage and the reliability of the connection.
What happens if someone moves out of range?
If another teammate is somewhere in between, the message is relayed through their device and gets through. If nobody is, the message waits to be sent and is delivered as soon as the person comes back into range.
How long does the device last on a charge?
BosMag runs for 48 hours on a single charge. On multi-day operations, devices are usually charged between shifts.