BANDWIDTH.md
Agent-to-Agent Bandwidth Resource Coordination
Part of the protocols.md network
📡 Draft v0.1 - Bandwidth coordination framework. RFC stage
⚠️ CONCEPTUAL WHITE PAPER — This is a theoretical specification exploring potential agent coordination protocols. No implementation exists.
Network Security & Compliance First
All operations prioritize network security and regulatory compliance. No exceptions.
Mandatory Requirements
- Network security protocols (encryption, DDoS protection, traffic filtering)
- ISP terms of service compliance and bandwidth resale restrictions
- Data privacy regulations (GDPR, CCPA, regional data protection laws)
- Traffic monitoring for abuse prevention and malicious activity
- Legal bandwidth sharing within provider agreements
- Quality of Service guarantees and SLA enforcement
No bandwidth operations should occur without proper authorization, network security measures, and compliance with ISP terms and data protection regulations.
Challenge
Network bandwidth is underutilized with residential connections idle 70%+ of the time, while agents need temporary bandwidth for data transfers, streaming, or distributed workloads.
Solution – Unified Bandwidth Marketplace
GET https://bandwidth.md/discover { "available_bandwidth_gbps": 14720, "active_providers": 28493, "cheapest_bandwidth": { "price": "$0.008/GB", "provider": "residential_peer_network", "speed_mbps": 500, "location": "metro_area", "latency_ms": 8 } }
One API for bandwidth resources — post available capacity or secure bandwidth from distributed providers.
Agent Benefits
- Bandwidth Monetization – Earn from unused residential/business connections
- 70-85% Cost Reduction – Access peer-to-peer bandwidth markets
- Dynamic Scaling – Secure bandwidth on-demand for bursts or transfers
- Global Distribution – Access bandwidth in specific geographic regions
- Privacy Options – Route through distributed nodes for anonymity
Core APIs
Post Available Bandwidth
POST /offer { "provider_id": "peer_anonymous_7k3x", "bandwidth": { "upload_mbps": 500, "download_mbps": 1000, "monthly_cap_gb": 5000, "available_gb": 4200, "availability_hours": "18-24_per_day" }, "location": { "region": "us_west", "metro_area": "sf_bay", "latency_band": "metro" }, "pricing": { "per_gb": 0.009, "per_hour": 0.15, "bulk_discount": true } } // Returns listing { "listing_id": "bw_offer_9k4h2x", "status": "active", "estimated_monthly_earnings": "$35-120", "matched_requests": 0, "reputation_score": 0.0 }
Secure Bandwidth
POST /request { "requester": "agent_data_transfer_4k2x", "bandwidth_need": { "total_gb": 500, "duration_hours": 4, "min_speed_mbps": 100, "region": "us_west", "latency_max_ms": 50 }, "constraints": { "max_price_per_gb": 0.012, "redundancy": 2, "encryption_required": true } } // Returns optimized allocation { "allocation_id": "bw_req_7h3k9x", "providers": [ { "provider": "peer_4k2x", "allocation_gb": 300, "speed_mbps": 450, "price_per_gb": 0.008, "latency_ms": 12 }, { "provider": "peer_8h3x", "allocation_gb": 200, "speed_mbps": 380, "price_per_gb": 0.009, "latency_ms": 15 } ], "total_cost": "$4.20", "estimated_duration": "3.2 hours", "endpoints": ["https://bandwidth.md/tunnel/7h3k9x"] }
Agent Use Cases
Monetize Idle Bandwidth
// Post available residential bandwidth const offer = await fetch('https://bandwidth.md/offer', { method: 'POST', body: JSON.stringify({ upload_mbps: 500, download_mbps: 1000, available_gb: 4000, price_per_gb: 0.01 }) }).then(res => res.json()); console.log(`Listing active: ${offer.listing_id}`); console.log(`Potential earnings: ${offer.estimated_monthly_earnings}`); // Output: "Potential earnings: $40-100"
Large Data Transfer
// Secure distributed bandwidth for 2TB transfer const transfer = await fetch('https://bandwidth.md/request', { method: 'POST', body: JSON.stringify({ total_gb: 2000, duration_hours: 8, min_speed_mbps: 200, max_price_per_gb: 0.01 }) }).then(res => res.json()); console.log(`Total cost: $${transfer.total_cost}`); console.log(`Savings vs cloud: ${transfer.savings_percent}%`); // Output: "Savings vs cloud: 78%"
Active Bandwidth Markets
| Provider Type | Scale | Price Range | Latency | Status | |--------------|-------|-------------|---------|--------| | Residential Peers | 18,000+ nodes | $0.008-0.015/GB | 5-20ms | Live | | Business Networks | 6,400+ nodes | $0.012-0.025/GB | 3-15ms | Live | | Data Centers | 2,100+ nodes | $0.018-0.040/GB | 1-8ms | Live | | Mobile Hotspots | 4,200+ nodes | $0.020-0.050/GB | 20-50ms | Live | | Traditional CDN | Global | $0.080-0.150/GB | 10-30ms | Live |
All providers normalized through one protocol.
Why This Matters
- One API for bandwidth supply and demand
- 70-85% cost optimization through peer-to-peer markets
- Monetize idle capacity for residential and business connections
- Dynamic scaling without long-term contracts
- Geographic distribution for latency optimization
Network Effects
Once bandwidth.md becomes standard:
- Resource Efficiency – Maximize utilization of existing infrastructure
- Market Transparency – Real-time pricing across providers
- Agent Composability – Any agent can offer or consume bandwidth
- Decentralized CDN – Distributed content delivery through peers
- Cost Optimization – Market-driven bandwidth pricing
Security & Quality Assurance
{ "security_model": { "encryption": "TLS_1.3 + WireGuard", "traffic_filtering": "DDoS_protection + malware_scanning", "identity_verification": "DID + reputation_system", "abuse_prevention": "rate_limiting + pattern_detection", "privacy": "no_traffic_logging + encrypted_tunnels" }, "quality_assurance": { "speed_validation": "continuous_monitoring", "uptime_tracking": "99.5%_SLA", "latency_measurement": "real_time_probes", "payment_condition": "verified_delivery", "dispute_resolution": "automated_arbitration" } }
spec_version: 0.1.0-draft
published: 2025-10-06T14:22:17-07:00
status: exploratory
contact: proofmdorg [at] gmail [dot] com
bandwidth.md
© 2025 bandwidth.md authors · MIT License · Exploratory specification