Bandwidth as currency

Provisioning bandwidth in an actuarially consistent manner has many far-reaching implications reminiscent of the commercial rationalization of railways in the 1870s - in that period's path to profitability. Mapping packet flow to willingness to pay, as rail cargo content was matched to the cost of carry, will better utilize bandwidth, enhancing network value consistent with the information being exchanged. The author discusses the notion of a packet watermark which can enable bandwidth as currency. Payment facilities are generally treated as separate, independent data flows from the actual data being transacted. Packet watermarks map payment facilities to the fidelity, discreteness, or functionality of the data demanded, representing a consistent means of determining a willingness to pay. This mapping acts as a receipt for data commerce.