The research partnership, which is worth €600,000 (US$700,000), will focus on making Passive Optical Networks (PONs) capable of supporting 5G wireless network cells and edge computing nodes to deliver new applications such as high-speed mobile streaming and augmented reality.
PONs are already widely used to provide fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband and are the technology of choice for Ireland’s National Broadband Plan (NBP). More work is required, however, to achieve the low latency and flexibility needed to host 5G-and-beyond networks.
The new research project, “Beyond 5G, Multi-tenant Low Latency Architectures”, will use network virtualization and software-defined networking to investigate how the high network densification envisaged by 5G can be delivered in a cost-effective, scaled manner.
CONNECT has already collaborated with Intel, via its R&D team in Shannon, to develop a Virtual PON platform, which makes use of the Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK), to provide new multi-tenant and multi-service capability. DPDK is used to speed up network-related functions on servers.
Professor Marco Ruffini, principal investigator at CONNECT in Trinity College Dublin, said, “This collaboration with Intel has huge potential for tackling a central challenge facing the development of future communication networks – how do we provide low-cost ubiquitous fiber connectivity to the large number of 5G small cells and to the edge computing nodes so that the ambition of a fully connected society can be realized.
“The project will use CONNECT’s Open Ireland research infrastructure, which is funded by SFI, to provide the physical network to test the technology in a live outdoor environment as well as in the traditional laboratory setting. Recently our team in CONNECT successfully extended the PON architecture to include support for mesh traffic patterns, which is a key step toward integration of wireless and edge computing nodes,” he added.
Brian Aherne, general manager of Intel Shannon, added, “Our ongoing research collaboration with the CONNECT Centre provides the perfect opportunity for Intel to help explore and define the future of networking infrastructure and to showcase the value delivered by the Intel platform for 5G and beyond. The expertise and industry outreach from within Ireland is a great asset for the TCD research partnership and the broader communications industry in Ireland.”