Recent headlines about ``network neutrality'' speak to the deep uncertainty about the future regulatory infrastructure (if any) that should govern the Internet. Perhaps most surprising about this policy debate is that it has not been informed by technical considerations: i.e., the technology and architecture of the Internet. This CAREER project closes this gap, by ensuring that robust architectural design and economic sustainability are viewed as complementary features of a successful communications infrastructure. We study the influence of technology and architecture on contracting models for the Internet, to determine those which will lead to an economically sustainable network. Two high-level questions drive the majority of the research agenda: (1) What contracting models are "incentive compatible", i.e., align individual incentives with global network sustainability? (2) What contracting models ensure the network eventually converges "dynamically" to a sustainable operating point? We use these questions as the backdrop to first evaluate the shortcomings of the current Internet contracting system. We then evaluate how a sequence of technological or architectural changes enable more sophisticated contracting models, ultimately suggesting a "contracting protocol" that enables value transmission over multiple timescales between nodes of the Internet. A broad-based education and public outreach program complements the research endeavors.
Broader Impacts:
This project educates a new generation of leaders and the public at large about the role that technology and architecture play in the economic structure of the Internet. Successful completion of the project ensures that this coupling is a central theme in the national policy debate about the future of the Internet.
