New internet enables better bandwidth and security

The next internet will be 'self-aware' and dynamically responsive to security threats and global network issues, according to US company Intel.

Pat Gelsinger, senior vice president at Intel, said an overlay network on top of the existing internet would transform it from a 'data-pipe' to a 'global information platform'.

The PlanetLab Consortium, made up of several universities, including the University of Technology Sydney and UC Berkeley, have designed a system of open-source network nodes to filter the net and identify potential issues.

The PlanetLab system would operate similar to peer-to-peer networking but on a global scale, while enabling real-time testing and intelligent routing.

"These new smart services could allow the internet to detect and warn of worm attacks on its own, dynamically re-route network traffic to avoid delays and improve video web casting," Gelsinger said. "They could also be used to make accessibility easier for users in regions of the world where power and connectivity are unreliable at best."

For example, instead of every internet user requiring a patch against a new virus, the PlanetLab system would enable the nodes to filter it out before it reached end-users.