[Proposal] resume work on Network Information API

The Network Information API enables web applications to access information about the network connection in use by the device.

Knowing the type and properties of the connection allows applications to make informed decisions about how/if/when it should fetch resources, and/or modify what type of resources are being fetched – e.g. kick off background sync when on WiFi, fetch lower resolution media when on <3G, and so on.

Brief history… DAP working group worked on the initial draft of this API but then discontinued their work. Since then, we’ve gathered more use cases and updated the editor’s draft to address some of the previous limitations: http://w3c.github.io/netinfo. However, as it stands, the spec doesn’t have an “official working group home”…

I’d like to propose that we move it under the WICG umbrella. Thoughts, comments?

p.s. fun fact, Chrome on Android (48+) and ChromeOS both support the functionality in the editors draft, see demo page.

FWIW, the DAP Working Group (now Device & Sensors WG) would be more than happy to provide a home for an updated NetInfo WD; it’s still in scope for our charter — we’ve been waiting to hear clear signal from implementors (we know about Chrome, but have not gotten clear signals from others)

I think D&S WG would be the eventual home for this work. Given that it’s been on hiatus, I think it’s probably a good idea to incubate for a bit to do exactly what you said - get some clear signals from others that this is a good direction to take - before bringing it back into the WG process.

I agree that the WICG is the right home for this. However, we need someone from the w3c to move the repository over as I don’t have admin rights for that repo.

Transfer complete.

Repo is now here: https://github.com/wicg/netinfo