MPTCP short for MultiPath TCP is a different way of thinking about how devices and networks operate together.
“Multipath TCP allows devices to transmit data over multiple connection types at once, such as LTE, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth. Essentially, this allows devices to maintain their connection to the Internet or another device even if one of the connections fails. “
Traditionally, devices adhere to a certain set of protocols and then transfer data over the network. However, if there is for whatever reason a hiccup or malfunction in the network the whole packet is lost. Not with MPTCP. Multipath TCP allows multiple TCP connections to a network allowing either connection to pick up where the other left off. It is like a connection wingman. If you wi-fi goes bizerk LTE will pick up the connection and vice versa.
The implications of having smart host devices deciding how and what networks devices to interact with is far reaching, especially in power savings. MultiPath TCP has been dubbed by many as, “the next generation of the internet.” The speed gains and the ability for smart devices to evolve into choosing how to interact with networks and devices rather than being told is nothing short of amazing. If you want a glimpse of the power of MPTCP just fire up Siri in a hostile environment.
Furthermore, with the ever shrinking spectrum of radio waves, technologies like MPTCP are the future. Apple was the first to implement MPTCP on a mobile device, granted in a very limited fashion (Siri). With that being said, MPTCP takes some serious technical wizardry and the fact that Apple was first to market will not be overlooked by the boys and gals over at the Google Plex.