Viral Communications Viral Comms WG: The Viral Community David P. Reed Andy Lippman May, 2007
Viral Communications
Viral Comms WG:The Viral Community
David P. ReedAndy Lippman
May, 2007
Viral Communications
Challenge:
What does it mean for humans to be able to construct networks shaped by their
natural communities?
Viral Communications
Viral Networks
Scalable
Incremental
Value-Enabling
Socially-Constructed, User-driven
Viral Communications
Viral Technologies Explored
Radio Magic – radio networks that cooperate by sensing and adapting to their physical environment and user needs – software-defined physical layer radio
Peer Multicast – exploit “gossip”
Multiconnectivity – every device has many interfaces
Viral Overlay – build on what's already there
Contributory infrastructure – to share the answer
Viral Communications
Radio MagicMelange – a wireless LAN protocol that exploits
the capabilities of GNU software radio platform, more scalable and adaptable than WiFi.
Multiple Identity – user-controlled RFID, allowing users to negotiate with their institutional environment
Viral Communications
Peer MulticastTV Rewired – peer-to-peer, real-time content distribution
without servers, providing resilient and scalable distribution for communities of any size and scale
Snap and Share – asynchronous multicast of information based on opportunities to connect
Fluid Voice - “pull to listen” - put the receivers in control of conferencing and collaboration
Xcast – peer-to-peer local content production and distribution
Viral Communications
Contributory InfrastructureXO Mesh – exploiting and scaling the mesh
network built into the $100 laptop, to meet the needs of kids
Community Storage – serverless storage that packs 10 lbs of books in a 3 lb laptop
UniPlug – community contributes the means to construct multi-device systems
Viral Communications
ThemesIntelligence is cheap and fast and portable
(sense, adapt, evolve)
The network context exists everywhere
(context can be presumed)
Can put the user or endpoint back in charge
Viral Communications
Viral Overlay
• Virtual Mobile Internet - “proto LTF”– Virtualize heterogeneous transport– Virtualize location
• Peers: Overlay peer-to-peer stream distribution
• Loops: Overlay distributed event and sensor data distribution
Viral Communications
A Viral Proto-LTF
CampusCarrier
Virtual Mobile Internet; Peers; Loops; Unified Sensors; Unified Identity & Auth
Carrier interface;
portable platforms;
development env
Carrier integration;
MIT-MVNO;
MIT gateway
WiMax testbed;
accessible processing;
Spot beam
“Cooperative SDR”
PCS Data
Viral Communications
Liquidity of connection
• MIT Internet• MIT MVNO• “WiMax/Mesh” to
Boston/Cambridge• Spot beams
Viral Communications
Liquidity of identity• “Personal router”• Initially embodied
in Amulet• User-controlled
identity and interaction
Viral Communications
Liquid context & environment• UniPlug adapts
“legacy” technology• Contributory –
everyone in community helps
Viral Communications
Looking forward: Multiconnectivity
• Laptops, phones have multiple radios• Environment has multiple “access
modes”• SDR coming into its own• “Tussle” for control of/by the individual• Explore: how to choose mode based on
context and goal