Opportunistic communication for delay tolerant data delivery in Milan

WiFi-enabled buses of the Public Transportation System (PTS) may be employed as the backbone of a metropolitan delay tolerant network that exploits ad hoc connectivity and predictable bus mobility to deliver non-real time information. In this paper, we discuss and study the feasibility of a Mobile Delay Tolerant Networking (MDTN) solution deployed over an actual PTS to provide service opportunistic connectivity. Our solution follows an opportunistic carrier-based approach where buses act as data collectors for users' requests involving Internet access. Obtained results demonstrate that MDTN represents a viable approach able to provide delay-tolerant service access. To support our claim, we have carried out a set of simulations considering MDTN coupled with state of the art routing protocols deployed over a near-to-real scenario: the PTS of Milan, Italy.