Key Enablers to Deliver Latency-as-a-Service in 5G Networks

In the early 4G deployments, mobile communication providers have been focusing on connectivity technologies to meet the coverage and capacity needs of the users. With the advent of 5G, however, new value-added services including Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Mission Critical (MC) applications need to be supported. Open Radio Access Network (RAN) together with network slicing technology has been envisioned as one of the important solutions to realize Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communication (URLLC) services in 5G. The paper explores a novel framework and its under-pinning key enablers to deliver the ultra-low latency specifications for various 5G verticals including Smart Cities, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and MC Services.