At IETF 93, Tackling Connectivity Diversity: Protocol Challenges for Constrained Radio Networks and Devices Thumbnail
Growing the Internet 2 July 2015

At IETF 93, Tackling Connectivity Diversity: Protocol Challenges for Constrained Radio Networks and Devices

By Megan KruseFormer Director, Advocacy and Communications
Ivan R. Mendez
Ivan R. MendezGuest Author

Internet connectivity speeds and mobile device capabilities vary across the world, but not all application or protocol developers keep that in mind. How do we address this discrepancy? Does the infrastructure need to change? Is this a temporary condition due to uneven global development? These are some of the questions we’ll discuss during the Internet Society Briefing Panel at IETF 93, entitled: Tackling Connectivity Diversity: Protocol Challenges for Constrained Radio Networks and Devices.”The panel takes place during lunch on Tuesday, 21 July, at the Hilton Prague alongside IETF.

Abstract

In many areas, Internet connectivity is primarily via low-end mobile devices capable of only 2G or 3G connections to cellular networks. But many application developers live and work with much faster computing platforms and networking environments. Does the infrastructure need to change to accommodate the continuing use of these devices? Is this a transient condition of uneven development, or do we need to re-architect and re-design systems to better cope with connectivity diversity?

Key transports had assumptions built on wireline networks. The next billion users won’t be on wireline networks, and even current users with access to both wireless and wireline networks use wireless networks more often. What does designing for the networks they *will* be on look like – whether at the transport layer or in the application, or at the interface between the two?

In this session during IETF 93, panelists will try to better understand the diversity of Internet connectivity and terminals, and discuss the challenges and responses to these modes of Internet connectivity including:

  • How application developers are dealing with terminal and connectivity diversity
  • Considerations for protocol developers
  • How restricted connectivity impacts user behavior
  • Design principles that could be extrapolated from the data and the technical responses to date
  • How power management and connectivity management interact

Moderator:
TBD, Internet Society

Panelists:
Ted Hardie, independent
Blake Matheny, Facebook
Henning Wiemann, Ericsson

Registration & Webcast Information

Pre-registration is required to attend this briefing panel in person, and it always fills up well in advance. Registration will open next week; watch this space or the session page for more information and the registration link.

This event will also be webcast and audiocast. Pre-registration (or IETF attendance) is not required. Again, watch this space or the session page for more information.

We hope you can join us in Prague, or online!

Disclaimer: Viewpoints expressed in this post are those of the author and may or may not reflect official Internet Society positions.

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