M2M communication delay challenges: Application and measurement perspectives

During the last decades, networks have evolved from stateless copper wires to complex, stateful communication paths. Furthermore, the delay in wired and wireless access networks has decreased substantially, such that previously negligible delay contributions become relevant parts of the total end-to-end delay. This can affect critical M2M applications such as Smart Grid communication that depend on timely data transfer. Their demand for deterministic communication paths conflicts with the common, cost-driven trend to share and optimize overall network capacity. This paper assesses contributions and bias of network technologies and systems onto end-to-end delay in today's access networks. The delay measurement results that are presented for various access networks provide (a) methodological considerations for accurate one-way delay measurements in these networks, (b) delay estimates for specific technologies as a guideline for M2M communication network selection, and (c) exemplary technology-specific anomalies that M2M applications must be prepared to handle. Integrating these findings into M2M applications is key to improve their communication's robustness, performance, and ability to handle anomalies appropriately.