Edge Networking

11Deployment of the Participatory Internet

In this chapter, we will describe the deployment of a participatory Internet using the example of Green Communications. This deployment is almost instantaneous. Quickly, nodes of the participatory network can see each other and form an Edge. This Edge contains nodes that are in the direct vicinity and others reachable through intermediate nodes. The Edge consists of an ad hoc or mesh network with embedded services offered to the network’s clients.

We will also discuss the scaling of the participatory Internet to form an Internet of Edges (IoE) and the different possible approaches to reduce the energy consumption of the nodes of the participatory Internet to meet the needs of mobility.

11.1. The deployment

Green Communications’ participatory Internet is composed of a set of embedded computers called Your Own Internet (YOI). Figure 11.1 shows a YOI router which consists of an electronic device equipped with two Wi-Fi interfaces and an Ethernet interface. YOI’s power consumption is minimum (5 W) allowing it to be battery powered and to have wearable applications.

The deployment consists of simply positioning the nodes and powering them on. Fixed nodes can be powered by an electrical source, mobile ones can be battery powered. The network forms automatically without any manual intervention and is ready for use as soon as all nodes have recognized their neighbors. The time required to start the network is expressed in seconds or tens of ...