Architecture and Incentive Design of Integrated Cellular and Disruption Tolerant Networks

The most common and seamless way of getting Internet access today for vehicles is through the use of cellular network, for example, GPRS, 3G or HSDPA. Even though performance of cellular network has improved significantly over the years, in particular with deployment of HSDPA, the data rate is still limited, due to the requirement of providing ubiquitous coverage to a large number of users. Meanwhile, many cities around the world have witnessed large scale deployment of open IEEE 802.11 or WiFi hot spots. While the WiFi link provides higher bandwidth at cheaper price, it is only usable when the vehicle is in range, and the contact is both fleeting and intermittent. In comparison, while the speed of cellular link is lower than WiFi, it has higher availability. In this paper, the architecture and incentive design of integrated cellular and disruption tolerant networks are discussed.