AETHER Project · roadmap artifact · v0.1

Phased Development Roadmap

Four phases from reference dev kit to a 100M-device commercial network.

Phase 1 · months 0–6

Proof of Concept

Reference MeshOS on dev kits; BLE + Wi-Fi-only mesh; 1,000-node ns-3 simulation; post-quantum handshake.

MilestoneKPIExit criterion
Reference dev kit50 hardware unitsBoots MeshOS, joins testnet
Two-radio meshBLE + Wi-Fi10-hop voice call < 200 ms
PQ handshakeKyber-768 + DilithiumPasses NIST KAT vectors
Simulation1,000 nodesSelf-heal < 1 s under 10% churn
Phase 2 · months 6–14

Pilot Deployment

10,000-device pilot across 3 cities + 1 rural region; LoRa overlay; public testnet for relay credits.

MilestoneKPIExit criterion
Pilot fleet10k devices30-day reliability ≥ 99%
LoRa overlayRural site15 km link, 99% delivery
Relay credits testnetPublic1M+ daily attestations
Security auditExternal firmNo criticals open
Phase 3 · months 14–24

Field Hardening

Drone relays, LEO satellite fallback, disaster drills, independent security audit + formal verification.

MilestoneKPIExit criterion
Drone relays3 platforms1h flight, 5km bridge
Satellite fallbackLEO partnerSLA-backed uplink
Disaster drillQuake / flood sim0 message loss, 100% uptime
Formal verificationRouting + identityCoq/TLA+ proofs published
Phase 4 · months 24–36

Commercial Rollout

Open hardware reference, carrier-of-last-resort partnerships, 100M-device target.

MilestoneKPIExit criterion
Open hardwareOSHWA certReference BOM published
Carrier partnerships≥ 3 telcosSLA-backed roaming
Device shipments100MAchieved in 36 months
Regulatory≥ 10 jurisdictionsSpectrum allocation approved

Risk register (top items)

RiskLikelihoodImpactMitigation
Spectrum regulationHighHighTiered access (CBRS-style); license-exempt fallback
Battery anxietyMediumMediumListen-before-talk < 2%; solar trickle
Sybil / wash-relayMediumHighPoUW + 2-neighbor attestations + reputation decay
Carrier oppositionHighMediumPosition as carrier-of-last-resort, not replacement
Hardware supplyMediumHighOpen BOM, multiple ODMs, reference design

© AETHER Project · phased roadmap · draft v0.1