Delay-tolerent networking refers to techniques for networking systems where delays and intermittency are orders of magnitutes larger than on the internet, such as in e.g. deep space communications.
In the Internet Engineering Task Force, there exists a DTN working group that standardizes the Bundle Protocol, which is an implementation of the DTN architecture.
In doing so, it co-operates with the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), which is a multi-national forum for the development of communications & data systems standards for spaceflight.
But disruption can also occur in earth-bound systems. The Internet Society Foundation estimates that only about half the world population is connected to the Internet. And when they are connected, that does not imply that this connection is permanent or with low latency connections.
In remote communities, power or networking equipment may not be available 24/7, which means their needs share similarities to those of deep space communications.
However, it is our view that a human-centric networking approach should be better suited as the more general networking architecture.