Unlocking the True Potential of 5G: Techniques for Latency Reduction

Rafat Jahan is a Research and Development Analyst at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) with over eight years of experience in wireless technologies and cloud infrastructure. Rafat is involved in the ideation and implementation of solutions based on next generation technologies, with a focus on SDN and wireless systems. She is responsible for solution accelerators that help telecom companies accelerate the roll-out of new technologies and ideas. With the advent of LTE and LTE-Advanced in fourth generation (4G) networks, wireless system designers are finding it challenging to cater to the increasing demand for the higher data rates and mobility required by wireless applications. As a result, research has already begun for fifth generation (5G) wireless systems, which are expected to be deployed by 2020. Realizing the importance of its role in the future, both research academies and industries around the world are studying next generation 5G wireless communication systems. Organizations such as Samsung, Huawei, and Nokia Solutions and Networks are pioneering these efforts. A key focus area for network operators in developing sophisticated and highly capable 5G applications is reducing latency. Low latency, which creates the illusion of zero latency to the user, plays a vital role in managing the growing subscriber base and achieving higher data rates. Reducing latency also supports the use of complex applications that satisfy the needs of the user and the network operator. This paper proposes a few techniques for latency reduction. It recommends leveraging Software Data Networking (SDN) in Evolved Packet Core (EPC) architecture and illustrates the efficacy of this approach through the simulation of an intercell handover scenario. Abstract Contents