Time-Sensitive Networking in IEEE 802.11be: On the Way to Low-latency WiFi 7
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Even being on the brink of WiFi 6, IEEE 802.11 working groups are already working on its successor in the wireless local area network (WLAN) ecosystem: WiFi 7. With IEEE 802.11be amendment as one of its main constituent parts, future WiFi 7 aims to support time-sensitive networking (TSN) capabilities to offer low latency and ultra-reliability in license-exempt spectrum bands. This article introduces the key expected enhancements of IEEE 802.11be and reviews the IEEE TSN framework and its main components: time synchronization, traffic shaping and scheduling, ultra reliability, and resource management. Then, it focuses on those IEEE 802.11be features that may contribute to the integration of the TSN functionalities, such as the multi-link operation and the multi-access point (AP) coordination. In addition, several use cases with required TSN capabilities are presented: industry 4.0, cloud gaming, and interactive museums. Finally, as an illustrative example, we study the suitability of applying TSN packet prioritization techniques at the APs to keep latency low for time-sensitive packets in the interactive museum case.
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