On the delay/cost tradeoff in wireless mobile Delay-Tolerant Networks

An infinite number of nodes travel on ℝ², along straight lines, with a common speed υ_n. Any transmission across a distance d incurs a cost c(d). We devise and study, both by analysis (using stochastic geometry tools) and simulation, forwarding rules that transport packets towards a given direction using combinations of wireless transmissions and physical transfers on node buffers. The forwarding rules are evaluated in terms of two metrics: the packet delivery delay and the aggregate transmission cost, both per unit of distance covered. We explore the tradeoff between these two metrics in terms of the points on the delay-cost plane achieved by our forwarding rules.