Content-centric networking: is that a solution for upcoming vehicular networks?

In this paper we propose an innovative networking architecture for content retrieval and distribution in Vehicular Ad hoc NETworks (VANETs), that leverages the recently proposed Content-Centric Networking (CCN) paradigm. It is based on named contents instead of IP addresses, and seems an attractive opportunity to handle the dynamic, short-lived and intermittent connectivity typical of VANETs. Achieved results show that the proposed architecture significantly outperforms the legacy TCP/IP protocol suite, thus confirming the potentialities of content-centric as a promising networking solution for upcoming VANETs.