Store-Carry-Forward Based Networking Infrastructure: Vision and Potential

In response to the increasing demand for asynchronous mass data exchange even by mobile users, the DTN-related technologies are considered promising for an efficient use of limited network resources and low-cost deployment at the expense of communication delays. The authors previously proposed a Virtual Segment concept aiming at a practical network infrastructure combining Internet-connected broadband wireless network devices, which have high data transmission rates but limited coverage areas, with a store-carry-forward networking by vehicles that is capable of bridging the gaps in broadband service areas in an asynchronous fashion. In this paper, as an extended framework to combine and integrate the wired/wireless communication networks with the transportation networks, Global Information Logistics Infrastructure (GILI) is briefly discussed. A case study of the GILI in a field experiment using school buses is reported with examining its potential. For this experiment, we develop a remote maintenance tool, as an example of store-carry-forward based asynchronous applications, which is shown to be useful in our framework.