Vodafone and its partners demonstrate how users can improve fibre broadband for key applications

Vodafone and its technology partners are showcasing new lag-busting broadband technology that in future will allow customers to get a differentiated experience when using interactive time-sensitive applications like gaming and videoconferencing.

Greater user control

Visitors to the Broadband Forum booth at Network X in Vienna from 13 to 15 October can see how combining L4S (Low Latency, Low Loss, Scalable Throughput) with App-Aware QoE (Application-Aware Quality of Experience) could give home and business broadband users greater control over service levels for specific applications.

When deployed over fibre-based Passive Optical Networks (PON) equipment serving homes and businesses, L4S can improve the performance of latency-sensitive applications such as cloud gaming, video conferencing and immersive services. App-Aware QoE is a network management and optimisation technique that measures, prioritises and improves the performance of individual applications, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach.

Together, these technologies can reduce internet delays for time-critical applications, especially during busy periods, and deliver a more personalised service. They can turn an operator’s fibre access network from a pure high-speed connection into an intelligent, application-aware platform tailored to the performance needs of individual applications.

Vodafone last year successfully demonstrated how L4S technology can be used to reduce lag (the time it takes for data to be sent and received over a network) by up to 94%, paving the way for a significant boost in the quality of interactive online experiences. Lag or latency of 100 milliseconds or more – roughly the time it takes to blink an eye – can cause a noticeable delay during video calls or online gaming.

From speed to experience

In future, the application-aware network can set network parameters including L4S through an Application Programming Interface (API). The demonstration at Network X is part of a joint initiative under the Broadband Forum exploring how L4S-enabled components can work together to reduce latency and improve user experience across the broadband operators and vendors, covering access networks, home networking equipment and applications.

Gavin Young, Head of Fixed Access at Vodafone, said: “Vodafone’s broadband strategy is focused on delivering better customer experiences through intelligent, application aware connectivity. As customers increasingly rely on interactive online services and digital assistants, technologies such as L4S will become essential in delivering a highly responsive and consistent experience at all times of the day or night.”

The road ahead

Vodafone continues to support industry efforts to standardise and drive the adoption of low-latency networking technologies such as L4S across all parts of a broadband network. Greater cross-industry collaboration through organisations such as the Broadband Forum is critical to ensuring products and services are truly interoperable to maximise the benefits to the customer.