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Reliable and low latency: The quest for instant connectivity

Companies are investigating solutions to reduce latency and allow devices to communicate with zero delays.

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Quantumrun Foresight
December 2, 2022

Insight summary

Latency is the time it takes for data to be transmitted from one place to another, ranging from about 15 milliseconds to 44 milliseconds depending on the network. However, different protocols could significantly lower that speed to just one millisecond. The long-term implications of decreased latency could include increased adoption of augmented and virtual (AR/VR) applications and autonomous vehicles.

Reliable and low latency context

Latency is an issue for applications with real-time communications, like gaming, virtual reality (VR), and video conferencing. The number of networked devices and the data transmission volume can lead to increased latency times. Additionally, more events and people relying on near-instant connectivity have contributed to latency issues. Reducing data transmission time won’t merely simplify daily life; it will also allow the development of significant technological capabilities, such as edge and cloud-based computing. The need to continue discovering low and reliable latencies has led to considerable research and updates in network infrastructures.

One such initiative is the widespread deployment of fifth-generation (5G) wireless cellular networks. The primary aim of 5G networks is to increase capacity, connection density, and network availability while improving reliability and lowering latency. To manage the numerous performance requests and services, 5G considers three primary service categories:

enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) for high data rates,
massive machine-type communication (mMTC) to allow access from an increased number of devices, and
ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) for mission-critical communications.

The most difficult of the three services to implement is URLLC; however, this feature is potentially the most crucial in supporting industrial automation, remote healthcare, and smart cities and homes.

Disruptive impact

Multiplayer games, autonomous vehicles, and factory robots need very low latency to function safely and optimally. 5G and Wi-Fi have made ten milliseconds somewhat of a ‘standard’ for latency. However, since 2020, New York University (NYU) researchers have been investigating reducing latency to one millisecond or less. To achieve this, the entire communications process, from start to finish, has to be redesigned. Previously, engineers could overlook sources of minimal delays because they did not significantly impact the overall latency. However, moving forward, researchers must create unique ways of encoding, transmitting, and routing data to eliminate the slightest delays.

New criteria and procedures are slowly being established to enable low latencies. For example, in 2021, the US Department of Defense used Open Radio Access Network standards to build a prototype network with sub-15 millisecond latency. Also, in 2021, CableLabs created the DOCSIS 3.1 (data-over-cable service interface specifications) standard and announced that it had certified the first DOCSis 3.1-compliant cable modem. This development was a crucial step in bringing low-latency connectivity to the market.

Additionally, data centers are adopting more virtualization and hybrid cloud technologies to support applications that include video streaming, backup and recovery, virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), and the Internet of Things (IoT). As companies transition to artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to streamline their systems, reliable and low latencies may remain at the forefront of technological investments.

Implications of reliable and low latency

Wider implications of reliable and low latency may include:

Remote health care examinations, procedures, and surgeries using assistive robotics and augmented reality.
Autonomous vehicles communicating with other cars about upcoming obstacles and traffic jams in real-time, therefore reducing collisions.
Instantaneous translations during video conference calls, making it look like everyone speaks in their colleagues’ languages.
Seamless participation in global financial markets, including rapid trade executions and investments, particularly in cryptocurrency.
The metaverse and VR communities having faster transactions and activities, including payments, virtual workplaces, and world-building games.
Educational institutions adopting immersive virtual classrooms, facilitating dynamic and interactive learning experiences across geographies.
Expansion of smart city infrastructures, enabling efficient energy management and enhanced public safety through real-time data analysis.