goTenna Teams Up with Blockstream Satellite to Make Sending Bitcoin Without Internet Connection Easier

Jan 11, 2021

About goTenna

goTenna is advancing universal access to connectivity by building the world's most intelligent and scalable mobile mesh networks. goTenna is the world's leading mobile mesh networking company, providing off-grid connectivity solutions for smartphones and other devices, as well as augmenting traditional communications networks. This technology enables mobile, long-range connectivity even without cell, wifi or satellite connectivity. goTenna's drive to create resilient connectivity began during Hurricane Sandy in 2012, when approximately a third of cell towers and power stations in affected areas failed. Based in Brooklyn, goTenna is backed by investors including Founders Fund, Union Square Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Collaborative Fund, and Bloomberg Beta.

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According to the recent Magical Crypto Conference on Saturday in New York City, Blockstream Satellite and GoTenna are incorporating their technologies in order to allow people to send bitcoin transactions with technologies used onboard without direct internet connections. 

GoTenna has teamed up with Blockstream Satellite, in order to make sending bitcoin transactions without an internet connection a little simpler, thus making it simple for users around the world to use BTC.

Blockstream Satellite is mainly a network of a satellite which allows users across the planet to download a bitcoin full node, the most secure platform to the bitcoin network, without any internet connection. Until they possess a satellite receiver with Blockstream Satellite's specific software installed.

GoTenna is a startup looking for technology which enables users to connect with others without the internet, i.e. to send text messages to others. Here, they have developed their own "mesh network" for sending messages. The only restriction is that the user has to connect to someone living nearby, within a mile, to send a transaction. 

From this, we can say that one can do a BTC transaction without an internet connection.  The GoTenna device connects to a bitcoin wallet on Android phone, which they use to send bitcoin transactions without an internet connection. The only limitation here is that they have to connect to the other GoTenna user which has an internet connection.

GoTenna said in a Statement,

“What this means for users is that they will be able to receive blockchain data via a satellite and send signed bitcoin transactions out via the GoTenna Mesh network without a direct internet connection.”

The latest merger is done as a part of a larger effort to make it easier for people to send offline transactions if they need too. 

Richard Myers, GoTenna decentralized applications engineer said, 

“The need for this technology might not be in New York City, but other parts of the world. It could be useful there instead of centralized internet providers.” Blockstream satellite will allow users to do transactions using high-frequency radio, even though it requires "more specialized knowledge."

Apart from this, some of the other cryptocurrencies allow users to do the transaction without any internet connection. This includes Dash Text and CoinText which allows users to send and receive cryptocurrencies with just an SMS.

— Crypto Ground