Others are more narrowly focused. All of the protocols must be simple so that they can evolve. They must be resilient so they are tolerant of normal errors and even maliciousness. Even better, it makes sense to have a large investment in technology so that we can use existing wiring. One example is the Home Phonewire Networking Association .
Wireless connectivity is also very attractive.
Once we can assume connectivity at a low cost, we are ready to start innovating in creating applications and protocols. Since they represent a software investment rather than hardware, it is feasible to experiment and evolve them. The design must address not only the technical issues but must also allow for the marketplace to improve them rather than waiting on committees for approval. The IETF is a good example as it serves to ratify practice rather than invent new rules. This is a very difficult problem.