Software-defined networks will provide some of this flexibility by separating the control function from data forwarding, but there are additional capabilities emerging, he says, such as intelligent switching of wavelengths, the ability to mix dedicated bandwidth with best-efforts networks, and application layer network traffic optimization, e.g.

FORBES: It's The Year Of The Network

Using Qualcomm StreamBoost technology, the router intelligently prioritizes Internet bandwidth to each application and device on a home network for leading edge performance and network optimization.

ENGADGET: D-Link's DGL-5500 802.11ac gaming router ships with Qualcomm's StreamBoost tech