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Anear-me area network is a logical grouping of communication devices that are in close physical proximity to each other, but not necessarily connected to the same communication network infrastructure. Thus, two smartphones connected via different mobile carriers may form a near-me area network.[1][citation needed]
Near-me area network applications focus on communications among devices within a certain proximity to each other, but don't generally concern themselves with the devices' exact locations.[2][3]
The Internet consists of different types of communication networks. Common types include local area networks (LAN), metropolitan area networks (MAN), and wide area networks (WAN). Local area networks have the coverage of a small geographic area, such as a school, residence, building, or company.[4][5][6] Metropolitan area networks cover a larger area, such as a city or state. Wide area networks provide communication in a broad geographic area covering national and international locations. Personal area networks (PANs) are wireless LANs with a very short range (up to a few meters), enabling computer devices (such as PDAs and printers) to communicate with other nearby devices and computers.
The concept of near-me area networks has become relevant based on the increasing popularity of location-sensitive (GPS-enabled) mobile devices, including iPhone and Android smartphones,[2][7] Some services are meaningful only to a group of people in close proximity.
