Scientists from Flinders University in Southern Australia have developed a mobile phone that does not require a reception tower to make calls. They built a piece of software that incorporates a “tower” right into the phone! Dr. Paul Gardner-Stephen told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that they used a WiFi interface to carry voice calls which then did not need to route through a central repository.

The technology was tested in a remote part of the Australian desert where there is no mobile or satellite phone reception. He was able to talk to another scientist using a duplicate prototype located nearly a thousand feet away. The system could be used to provide an instant mobile phone network in disaster situations, such as the earthquake in Haiti. Mobile phone towers were completely destroyed during the earthquake, making relief efforts that much more difficult to coordinate.

The group of scientists are working hard to increase the range of the devices. They are also focusing on improving sound quality and in developing a way of quickly making the entire system work in a disaster zone.

If we’re seeing technology of this sort already – years before any of us expected it – what do you think the NEAR future holds as far as our phones and the host of service providers out there? Will we one day not even need to choose a plan or provider at all?