Capacity analysis of a delay and disruption tolerant network in the Amazon basin

Due to the regional characteristics of the Amazon, waterborne transportation is prevalent. Therefore, the deployment of Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) using boats is considered a technological option to interconnect the region. In this context, contacts between boats can be used to obtain an increased capillarity and efficiency of the network. This paper presents an experimental performance evaluation of wireless communication, using IEEE 802.11 b/g between boats in the Negro river. The main goal is to characterize the transmission and the contacts of boats, aiming at evaluating the goodput of a delay tolerant network (DTN) formed by boats in the Amazon basin. The results of our experiments show the feasibility of data traffic between boats with the common speed in the region. Combining the experimental results with the schedule information of regular boat lines in the waterways of west Amazon, we estimate the capacity of this large-scale DTN.