Minimizing Delay and Packet Delay Variation in Switched 5G Transport Networks

A key requirement in 5G networks is the demand of minimizing transport delay. In this paper we propose and explore novel mechanisms for minimizing packet delay and delay variation in 5G mobile transport networks. Differently from mechanisms described in the literature and standardization for deterministic delay aggregation, a novel method using a time-window combined with a timeout-based approach, is proposed. The goal is to achieve bounded delay aggregation of traffic, suitable for application in fronthaul transport. We propose an asynchronous approach to deterministic networking, enabling Bounded Delay Transmission (BDT). Exploration of parameters for controlling the maximum delay and Packet Delay Variation (PDV) of the aggregated traffic is performed by simulation, and practical demonstration is shown in an experiment. Using the proposed mechanisms, we show that the delay and PDV can be bounded below 20 microseconds with up to 85-90% carried load of the aggregated flows. Hence, we demonstrate their suitability for delay sensitive fronthaul transport and future applications in 5G networking. Experimental results demonstrate that the practical implementation of the mechanism is viable. Thus, it motivates the extensive analysis performed through simulations.