Hexagon

Hexagon is a ubiquitous mesh radio system used for nearly all modern mobile communications. It has replaced centralised LTE and CDMA networks and triumphed in speed and reliability. Radio modules supporting the technology are built into devices such as PDAs and laptop computers, as well as embedded infrastructure in homes and cities. Municipal router nodes to provide better coverage from propagation are scattered across cities. The Hexagon standard was initially developed in the mid-2050s by Rayleigh Telecom and popularised as a replacement for conventional cell networks throughout the 2060s.

Under Hexagon, consumers no longer pay for access to the network itself, but to any one of a number of relay providers for access to the wider Internet. Even so, services providers are mandated by treaties or by laws in certain countries to provide free access to a number of resources considered critical, including lifesaving assistance, government websites, and basic communication services. Fees are charged based on the scope of access; the cost for a subscription within Earth might be negligible and come with an unlimited data cap, but access to Mars spacecom networks from Earth would be billed per megabyte and speed-limited.