Can you send internet data by pigeon?

A Standard for the Transmission of IP Datagrams on Avian Carriers (RFC 1149)

An official-looking internet standard for sending data by carrier pigeon.

Waitzman, D. · Internet Engineering Task Force (RFC), 1990

Published as an April Fools’ RFC (the format for real internet standards), it carefully describes how to print data on paper, tie it to a pigeon’s leg, and fly it to the destination.

In 2001 a Linux user group in Norway actually did it. Nine packets were sent; four came back. Latency was measured in hours.

the verdict

High latency, low bandwidth, excellent vibes.