From ATM to MPLS and QCI: The Evolution of Differentiated QoS Standards and Implications for 5G Network Slicing

Abstract

The networking community continues to create new technologies, and update existing ones to improve the quality, reliability and 'tailorability' of data networks. However, whenever Internet Service Providers (ISPs) attempt to productize 'tailorability' and sell it explicitly to end customers as a premium service over the 'best effort' connectivity, they either fail to overcome net neutrality concerns, or struggle to gain market traction. For this article, we focus only on those networking protocols, technologies or standards whose goal is to offer tailored connectivity to paying customers on a public network and refer to them as Differentiated QoS (D-QoS) standards. This article makes two contributions to the understanding of the goals of D-QoS standards. First, it explores their techno-economic market trajectory to understand the factors that determine success. In doing this, we acknowledge that, while there is wide variation and dissimilarity in their underlying technical properties, the expectation and goal for all D-QoS standards is that they will be used to provide a guaranteed connection that customers could be prepared to pay for. As such, we consider transport layer technologies (e.g. ATM, Frame Relay, MPLS), signaling technologies (e.g. RSVP), data packet markers (e.g. IP ToS, DiffServ, WME, QCI), and end-toend separation solutions (e.g. Leased lines, Network Slicing) as a single cohort and analyse them together. Second, by exploring the parallels with 5G Network Slicing, we argue that despite its inherent technical differences with other D-QoS standards, the commercial performance of Network Slicing may end up resembling that of previous D-QoS standards. Consequently, we seek to learn lessons from previous D-QoS attempts and suggest that enterprise-focused 5G slices, running within a single service provider's domain and with binding service level agreements, will have the highest chance of success in the short/medium term.

An Integrated Framework using ATM and 5G Concepts for Next Generation Enterprise Network

“…The research [4] discussed the Differentiated QoS (DQoS) standards, which are networking protocols, methods, or standards that attempt to provide customized connections to paying users on a public network. A study [5] introduced 5G cellular networks that create a technology standard for highspeed, low-latency connection.…”

Live Free-Viewpoint Video in Immersive Media Production Over 5G Networks

“…The latter option implies dedicating parts of the time-frequency resource grid to different slices, which ultimately maps to designing specific scheduling policies that can assign the resources in the desired way, both between and within slices [43]. As a consequence, and despite its inherent technical differences with other D-QoS technologies, the commercial performance of network slicing may end up resembling that of previous D-QoS standards [44].…”