SocialDTN: A DTN implementation for Digital and Social Inclusion

TL;DR

SocialDTN is an Android-based DTN implementation leveraging social proximity and routines to enhance digital inclusion through opportunistic Bluetooth communication.

Contribution

It introduces SocialDTN, a novel DTN architecture for Android devices that uses social-aware routing to improve connectivity for socially excluded populations.

Findings

Simulations demonstrate dLife routing's effectiveness in social contexts.

Preliminary field experiments show promising results for SocialDTN.

SocialDTN facilitates communication without relying on traditional infrastructure.

Abstract

Despite of the importance of access to computers and to the Internet for the development of people and their inclusion in society, there are people that still suffer with digital divide and social exclusion. Delay/Disruption-Tolerant Networking (DTN) can help the digital/social inclusion of these people as it allows opportunistic and asynchronous communication, which does not depend upon networking infrastructure. We introduce SocialDTN, an implementation of the DTN architecture for Android devices that operates over Bluetooth, taking advantages of the social daily routines of users. As we want to exploit the social proximity and interactions existing among users, SocialDTN includes a social-aware opportunistic routing proposal, dLife, instead of the well-known (but social-oblivious) PROPHET. Simulations show the potential of dLife for our needs. Additionally, some preliminary results from field experimentations are presented.