As internet and mobile networks are penetrating more and more households and businesses across the world, bandwidth limitations are slowing down internet speeds and making mobile networks inefficient. This problem can be solved by increasing the data bandwidth which is very expensive or by the novel method of network coding. This wireless network protocol basically adds bits of information as headers to the packets it transmits to and fro from a user. This information can be decoded at the users end, thus making it possible for the entire message to be decoded.
By this method, packets of data can be made smaller, thus eliminating network clogging that occurs due to increased data transmission. This method developed by the American Military research organization called DARPA was found to be a whole five times more efficient than conventional networks. Meanwhile, field trials are all set to commence in the near future. If successful, this technology will be first used for military applications after which it could trickle down for civilian use to redefine mobile and internet connectivity. Let’s hope it does so at the earliest.
Via: technologyreview
