Ring Road Networks: Access for Anyone

Abstract

Several billion people currently lack reliable access to the Internet and, thus, to a tremendous source of knowledge. In this paper, we describe a field-tested communication approach combining CubeSat platforms and delay-tolerant networking (DTN) solutions to provide asynchronous connectivity to populations and regions that are underserved by the Internet. The resulting class of networks is known as ring road networks (RRN), a networking approach that is built on technology developed for the construction of a Solar System Internet. The necessary selfsufficiency of DTN nodes enables network access to be deployed incrementally at low cost, supporting communities that cannot be profitably served by Internet satellite constellations. We present the RRN architecture and evaluate the expected performance by means of simulations. Based on the latter, we discuss 𝜇D3TN: a lightweight and open-source DTN protocol stack for RRNs and other DTN classes. 𝜇D3TN has been flight-tested in ESA's OPS-SAT in low-Earth orbit (LEO) during December 2020 and May 2021. This work discusses the experiment results as we validated the RRN approach in concrete application use cases. The reported outcomes motivate a new application domain.

Routing Heterogeneous Traffic in Delay-Tolerant Satellite Networks

“…For this work, we have used a sparser Walker-Delta constellation with the orbital and simulation parameters described in [31], and represented in Figure 4. This particular type of network is one of the so-called Ring Road Networks (RRNs) [33] and its purpose is to connect remote sites without internet access (cold spots) with sites in urban regions with internet access (hot spots) by means of small and inexpensive satellites that act as data mules to exchange data between hot spots and cold spots.…”

DisruptaBLE: Opportunistic BLE Networking

“…Still, no general DTN or Bundle Protocol approach exists for BLE while there are solutions available for IEEE 802.15.4 [9] or CoAP [10]. Building on established DTN technology like µD3TN, DISRUPTABLE integrates into existing networks [11], expanding opportunistic connectivity to BLE.…”

Performance modeling of Licklider transmission protocol (LTP) via proactive transmission of signaling segments in deep‐space network

“…DTN also has shown the feasibility of an actual space link, even if there was long haul delay and rain attenuation 8 . Moreover, the DTN has been successfully field‐tested as a communication approach combining CubeSat platforms and delay‐tolerant networking (DTN) solutions to provide asynchronous connectivity to populations and regions that are underserved by the Internet 9 …”

“…8 Moreover, the DTN has been successfully field-tested as a communication approach combining CubeSat platforms and delay-tolerant networking (DTN) solutions to provide asynchronous connectivity to populations and regions that are underserved by the Internet. 9 In literature, there are also studies that evaluated the performance of the DTN protocol via simulation or emulated experiments. 10,11 Most of these works' focal point is on Earth orbit and cislunar communication scenarios.…”