Project for low latency broadband VR boost
The Broadband Forum has launched a project to aid the delivery of low latency data in broadband networks.
The L4S global standard for low latency broadband services aims to boost the takeup of augmented reality and virtual reality services.
The Latency, Low Loss and Scalable Throughput (L4S) technology was specified by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) last year in response to demands of new applications that require low and predictable latency for the best user experience.
L4S improves end-to-end performance by introducing immediate congestion feedback from network bottlenecks as soon as data packets begin to queue. This combined with a scalable congestion control scheme on the sending hosts (the computers and devices sending the data), helps support high throughput and low latency even during network congestion.
The Application of L4S to Broadband Networks project, from Broadband Forum’s Access and Transport Architecture (ATA) Work Area, will be responsible for defining how to apply L4S to a broadband network, with considerations on implementation and introduction strategies.
“As trials and real-world implementations and deployments continue to ramp up in the likes of DOCSIS networks and a range of Apple operating software, Broadband Forum’s new project will build on the IETF standard to ensure ultra-low latency can be ensured in broadband networks,” said Craig Thomas, CEO at Broadband Forum. “In turn, software developers do not need to rewrite their own networking code to support L4S and application providers can continue to develop and introduce apps that require low latency in combination with high throughput.”
As L4S does not require implementation across the whole network to start to deliver benefits, Broadband Forum’s project will support phased implementations of the technology that focus on the most beneficial parts of the network first, on the journey to a full end-to-end support.
This will enable service providers to offer services to subscribers that can support applications with latency and capacity demands at the same time and at the same network bottleneck. L4S provides network congestion control that was not previously available for latency sensitive applications for cloud gaming, video conferencing, extended reality (XR) and more.
“We’re keenly aware that low and stable latency, along with high throughput, is fundamental to broadband performance for many interactive applications used in the home. This is especially true to ensure immersive experiences for applications like cloud gaming, and we’re confident this project will help providers deliver new benefits to pass onto their customers,” said Jonathan Newton, Vodafone and Access and Transport Architecture Work Area Director at Broadband Forum. “Broadband Forum is uniquely positioned to define how to implement L4S capability into a broadband network as a number of key congestion points are in our scope of work and we look forward to supporting the industry tackle a key pain-point for modern network applications.”
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