A Hybrid DBA Algorithm for EPON-based Mobile Front-haul Networks

Abstract

In recent years, Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) has been considered as a promising candidate of mobile front-haul networks, since it can provide high capacity for bandwidth-hungry enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) traffic. However, the EPON cannot support ultra-reliable and low latency communication (uRLLC) traffic, which is sporadic, highly unpredictable, and delay-sensitive. To address this problem, this paper devises a hybrid dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) algorithm, which treats the uRLLC traffic as high-priority traffic. In particular, the hybrid DBA algorithm schedules the uRLLC traffic in a competitive manner every other fixed time interval and polls the eMBB traffic in a round-robin manner. Our simulation results show that the hybrid DBA algorithm can work very well in the network with 16 ONUs.