A Comprehensive Survey on Decentralized Emergency Communication Frameworks: Bridging the Gap Towards Infrastructure-Independent Mobile SOS

In the aftermath of catastrophic events, the immediate collapse of terrestrial communication infrastructures critically hinders search and rescue operations during the vital "Golden Hour." While substantial research has explored ad-hoc networking, IoT meshes, and UAV relays to restore connectivity, many paradigms remain tethered to specialized hardware or cloud-synchronized control planes. This survey presents a thematic evaluation of recent advancements in decentralized edge communication, cate