What Is a Tactical Mesh Network?
A tactical mesh network is a communication architecture that creates multi-hop wireless links between devices without depending on fixed infrastructure such as a cellular network or the internet. Every device in the network is both an endpoint and a relay: if a message cannot reach its destination directly, it hops through the devices in between. The word “tactical” comes from the fact that the network is formed in the field and dismantled in the field — it needs no mast, no cabling and no subscription, and it moves with the team. BosNets is a tactical mesh system that builds an uninterrupted network with a single-hop range of up to 5 km in open terrain without any central infrastructure; it consists of the BosMag communication device, the BosApp mobile application, the BosBase relay station and the BosLog coordination software.
How does a tactical mesh network work?
Every device is also a relay
On a cellular network all traffic passes through a base station: if the station goes down, everyone in that area falls silent. A tactical mesh network has no centre. Each device hears the devices around it and carries their messages. Coverage therefore grows as the team spreads across the field; no separate step is needed to install a relay.
Multi-hop routing
A message hops from device to device until it reaches its destination. In BosNets device software every packet leaves its source with a life of five hops, and that counter drops by one at each relay; when it runs out, the packet stops travelling. This lets a message cross a chain of five devices while preventing copies that circulate in the network forever.
The network reorganises itself
Each device keeps track of the devices around it and the paths it knows; that information is refreshed at intervals, stale records are dropped and the path is relearned. In practice this means the network reorganises itself when a team member moves, a device is switched off or an obstacle appears — nobody has to change a setting.
Traffic is encrypted end to end
Message contents are encrypted on the device with AES-256-GCM. Intermediate devices that relay the packet do not decrypt it, they only carry it. Being a relay does not mean being able to read the message.
How does it differ from the alternatives?
| Approach | Infrastructure required | How coverage grows |
|---|---|---|
| Tactical mesh network | None | Automatically, because every device that joins acts as a relay |
| Voice radio | Repeater installation and, in most bands, a frequency allocation | By installing new repeaters |
| Cellular network | Base station, power and backhaul | Depends on the operator’s infrastructure |
| Satellite terminal | A subscription per terminal and a clear view of the sky | With the number of terminals; devices do not relay for each other |
This comparison describes complementarity rather than replacement. Most field teams keep their voice radios and use a tactical mesh network for the data radio cannot carry: written instructions, live location, task status and a record.
Where is it used?
Disaster response
After an earthquake, flood or fire, base stations lose their power and their backhaul at the same time. Teams working on a collapse site cannot see each other and the coordination centre does not know who is where. A tactical mesh network is established within the first hour: devices are handed out, the team enters the field, and message and location traffic flows without touching the cellular network at all.
Security operations
In crowd management, patrol duty and site security the team spreads over a wide area and communication is expected to stay inside the organisation. On a closed mesh network the traffic stays between the organisation’s own devices, and the organisation decides who may join.
Military field exercises
Cellular coverage on an exercise ground is either absent or unreliable. Seeing unit positions on a single screen, distributing written tasks and recording all traffic for later review becomes possible without building infrastructure. The network is collected when the exercise ends; nothing installed is left behind.
Energy and utility field teams
Transmission lines, pipelines and dam sites run through corridors where the coverage map is blank. Once a chain is formed along the line, even the team at the far end is inside the same network, and switching instructions are delivered in writing and on the record.
Where does BosNets sit in this category?
BosMag — the carried node
A portable communication device measuring 7 × 6 cm, weighing 200 grams and rated IP68. It attaches to the phone with a magnetic mount and pairs with BosApp over Bluetooth. Single-hop range is 5 km in open terrain and 2 km in urban areas; battery life is 48 hours. The built-in GNSS sensor produces position to 1.5 m accuracy without needing a network. Devices operate in the 869.4-869.65 MHz licence-free band, so no frequency allocation is required.
BosBase — the high node added to the backbone
A portable relay station that reaches 20 km with its larger antenna and draws its power from solar energy. It is used to close a chain broken by a valley or a ridge, to keep dispersed teams on the same network and to connect the coordination centre to the field. It needs no fixed mounting, stakes or cabling, and can be placed on a vehicle roof to become a mobile relay point.
BosApp — the interface in the field
Runs on iOS and Android. Written messaging, location sharing, task assignment and emergency alerts are gathered in a single application. With the offline map feature the map of a chosen region is downloaded in advance and opens without internet. The defining feature is hybrid transport: when a network is available the message goes over the internet, and when it is not, the same message drops onto the mesh network through the BosMag beside you. The switch is automatic.
BosLog — the coordination centre screen
Desktop software that gathers every device in the field, every shared location and every marked point onto one map. Traffic is recorded with time stamps; post-operation reporting and incident analysis are carried out on that record.
Summary
With a 5 km single-hop range in open terrain and 48 hours of battery life, BosNets lets teams message each other, share location and run task management even when there is no network. The system needs no base station, internet connection, SIM card or satellite subscription; because it operates in a licence-free band, there is also no frequency allocation process.
Range, battery, dimension and frequency figures are the manufacturer values published on the BosMag and BosBase product pages. Hop count is taken from the BosNets device software v3.5 configuration and the recommended device density from BosNets field measurement. Last updated: 3 September 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of BosNets in the field without a base station?
Without any base station, the single-hop range between two BosMag devices is 5 km in open terrain and approximately 2 km in urban areas. A packet is carried across at most 5 hops inside the network, so the total covered area grows as more devices join. The BosBase relay station reaches 20 km on its own link.
How does a tactical mesh network differ from two-way radio?
With voice radio the range is fixed: if two ends cannot hear each other, there is no communication. In a tactical mesh network every device in between acts as a relay, so coverage grows as the team spreads out. Traffic is also written and time-stamped, which leaves a record.
Does a tactical mesh network require a frequency licence?
No. BosNets devices operate in the 869.4-869.65 MHz licence-free band, so the organisation does not need a frequency allocation or a licence fee. On systems that use a licensed band this is a separate application process.
How many devices can join the network?
The network itself has no fixed device limit; as the team grows, so does the covered area. What matters is density rather than the total count: for messages to travel without delay we recommend at most 250 devices within an area of 10 km².
Let us talk about how the system fits your field conditions.