Tactile Internet (TI). The envisioned purpose of the
tactile internet is to enable the delivery of real-time control and
physical (haptic) experiences remotely, that means to provide a medium
for remote physical interaction in real time with exchange of
closed-loop information between virtual and/or real objects, i.e.
humans, machines, and processes by enabling haptic interaction with
visual feedback. At the application level, automation, robotics,
telepresence, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and
artificial intelligence (AI) all play a role. In this way, the Tactile
Internet should be able to simultaneously accommodate applications, such
as manufacturing, e-health, training, education, road traffic, gaming
and others.
Physical Internet (PI). It represents an innovation
in logistics which is based on the working principles of the digital
Internet. An internet-like network for goods means no data is
encapsulated in data packets, but goods are encapsulated in
PI-containers. Furthermore, PI-containers are routed through the network
via PI-hubs, like data packets are routed through the internet by
routers. Most candidate PI architectures highlight the necessity of
real-time continuous communication and positioning of the PI-containers.
At sea or in zones not covered with cellular networks, the use
Satellite Communications is a must to accommodate for ubiquitous
communication requirements. The same goes for satellite navigation in
order to always locate the PI-container along its path. Applications of
the PI could be discovered in the logistics sectors that have most to
gain from the PI capabilities, as for example the secure transport of
medical goods (drugs, blood samples,..) and the delivery of fresh food
requiring timely delivery and monitoring of integrity of the goods.
Internet of People (IoP). In the Internet of people,
users’ personal mobile devices will assume a special role as the main
interface connecting people to the Internet. As they will be the
“gateways” through which the users access the internet, they become the
proxies of their human users in the cyber world. The users’ personal
devices are not anymore passive generators and consumers of data, but
they play an active role, either through local decisions, or through
collaborative decisions with other devices with which they interact by
incorporating models of their human users’ behavior. Stretching this
vision further, IoP could embrace even a tighter integration between the
Internet and humans, allowing humans themselves to contribute
(cognitive) resources to the Internet functions. In IoP, humans can also
be “used” as network nodes. Applications of IoP could be discovered in
creative industries, personal services and others.
Internet for All People. The benefits of the
Internet are not accessible to everyone. In particular, one fundamental
human right, the right to speech (Freedom of expression is recognized as
a human right under article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights) is denied to many world citizens due to a lack of economic means
to purchase or contract the communication means or censorship of the
information to be transmitted or retrieved by authorities. Satellite
Communications, and in particular upcoming satellite constellations,
have the strongest potential to deliver the Internet for All People. Not
just for the ones who can afford it or the ones authorized by their
institutions, but for all. The potential market is large and includes
countless NGOs operating abroad, poor communities and individuals facing
critical or life-threatening situations.