[mapt]

These things aren't "Internet Access", they're an easy way to get service that is bandwidth-equivalent to SMS, MMS, IRC or walkie talkie, over complex and distant terrain, without any central coordinating authority. Potentially even acting as last-mile to repeater nodes that pass through the actual Internet. This is a terrifically useful idea of a network in certain conditions, though in other conditions it's probably just going to be last-mile for your personal Gmail account.

[DoctorOetker]

I didn't assume "internet access", even for machine 2 machine applications, it was a disappointingly low bandwidth.

I don't deny a niche of applications, I tried to understand its popularity, and back then I came to the conclusion it was probably illicit use of the technology, not conformant use.

[jasonwatkinspdx]

The people I know playing around with it are interested in something that offers very basic SMS style broadcast without any centralized authority or infrastructure.

For example here on the west coast we have a non trivial probability of earthquakes big enough that a lot of infrastructure may be down for weeks.

Another motivation is political. We've already seen efforts to restrict people's ability to warn others about ICE's activity. So I know some people that while not going full revolutionary or anything, are interested to learn about some peer 2 peer alternatives as a sort of hedge against things getting worse.

And some people just play with it because the tech is neat, it's fun to see how far your messages can get, etc.

[pstuart]

I'd assume that the ability to communicate without depending on cellular service could have a certain appeal.