Dynamic bandwidth allocation system using English auction

In leased line services used by ISPs (Internet Service Providers) the bandwidth is fixed, but the traffic changes dynamically. Therefore, there is a necessity for ISPs to accommodate extra capacity to meet peak usage demands; many resources are not used in off-peak hours. To address this, we propose an auction method for the dynamic allocation of bandwidth to ISPs sharing backbone networks. By this method, backbone networks can be used effectively as each ISP is able to secure bandwidth according to its own policy. The Internet users can also be expected to receive good services, as it enables them to obtain information about all ISPs, such as the access fee and QoS (quality of service) provided, and to select congenial ISPs from among all ISPs according to this information. In this study, we compare a dynamic bandwidth allocation service with a leased line service (fixed allocation of bandwidth to ISPs) by using the users' utility to estimate the effectiveness of the proposed method.