The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) seeks public comment on the proposed Low Bandwidth & Alternative Transport OGC API Domain Working Group (DWG). The proposed DWG will provide an open forum for discussing interoperability requirements and developing best practices for using OGC API standards in low-bandwidth, high-latency, and non-HTTP transport environments.

The DWG aims to define best practices, profiles, and implementation guidance for adapting OGC API standards to networks where conventional HTTP-based interactions may be impractical or inefficient due to limited bandwidth, high-latency, or intermittent connectivity.

The specific bandwidth threshold that determines whether a network falls within the DWG’s scope is intentionally flexible. As a reference point, links operating at or below approximately 200 kbps are generally considered within scope. However, the DWG explicitly recognizes that many networks of interest operate well below this threshold, while networks with higher nominal bandwidth may also benefit from its guidance due to high latency, intermittent connectivity, or link contention.

The DWG will focus on:

  • Alternative transport protocols: Exploring the use of protocols such as MQTT, CoAP, ZeroMQ, UDP-based protocols, and message queues as alternatives to traditional HTTP.
  • Efficient data encodings: Identifying compact and binary encodings for geospatial data exchange.
  • Constrained API usage: Developing query patterns and API usage models suited to message-oriented and low-throughput systems.

The scope of OGC API standards addressed by the DWG will be guided by identified and validated use cases. Relevant OGC API standards may include OGC API – Features, OGC API – Environmental Data Retrieval (EDR), OGC API – Coverages, OGC API – Connected Systems, and others. The list of applicable standards will evolve as the DWG’s work progresses.

The DWG will not develop new OGC standards. Instead, its work will focus on:

  • Producing Best Practice documents.
  • Defining transport and encoding profiles.
  • Providing recommendations to existing Standards Working Groups (SWGs).

To Comment

The proposed Low Bandwidth & Alternative Transport OGC API Domain Working Group is available for review and comment for a period of 30 days. Comments are due by 08 November, 2026.

Comments can be submitted in the OGC GitHub repository for a period ending on the “Close request date” listed above. Comments received will be consolidated and reviewed by OGC members for potential incorporation into the document.

About OGC

The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) is a membership organization dedicated to using the power of geography and technology to solve problems faced by people and the planet. OGC unlocks value and opportunity for its members through Standards, Innovation, and Collaboration. Our membership represents a diverse and active global community drawn from government, industry, academia, international development agencies, research & scientific organizations, civil society, and advocates.