First and foremost, to the fact that the networks are currently extremely overloaded. During conflicts such as Ukraine-Russia, the chance of losing Internet access grows, therefore you’ll need to know how to avoid it.

Here’s how to stay connected if they turn off the Internet. 

Bridgefy application

This mobile application was created specifically to allow users to communicate with each other without a network connection. All data is transmitted via Bluetooth.

The application was developed in Mexico, and the developer’s offices are located in the United States. If they suddenly stop providing mobile Internet services, users will be able to exchange messages via Bluetooth.

The application can be downloaded for Android and iOS.

How does it work? The application creates a peer-to-peer Bluetooth network on your phone, so it can connect to other devices within its range. And it is about 100 meters from other Bridgefy users. These people are then sent your message, which is later sent to other people on the device, and so on. Thus, the message can be transmitted over long distances.

CENO browser

The Canadian browser(Censorship.No!), abbreviated CENO, was created specifically for mobile devices running Android. It helps circumvent Internet censorship and acts as a peer-to-peer network (P2P). That is, users can share downloaded content. This will allow you to bypass dependence on centralized servers.

You do not need to be an experienced user to use the CENO browser. Its operation and appearance are almost no different from a regular browser. The browser has a Ukrainian location, which was launched in February 2022.

You can download it through Google Play Market.

Matrix for real-time communication

Matrix.org Foundation enthusiasts have been developing this open protocol for decentralized real-time communication since 2014. It is used to send text messages, make audio calls and even use group chats.

To use Matrix, you need to open the Element web client (also has desktop and mobile versions) and connect to Matrix through your own server, setting up HomeServer on Synapse. 

Psiphon VPN service

This VPN service was developed at the University of Toronto. The developers claim that this service can be used even if you use a deep filtration system (DPI), which is available, in particular in Russia.

Psiphon can be used for free. In this case, you will view ads and also get a limited speed (up to 2 Mbps). However, this is enough for video calls and information retrieval on the Web.

This VPN service works on Android and iOS.

Image Credit: Getty

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