Wi-Fi Alliance is advocating for a common Quality of Service approach

In this paper released last week, Wi-Fi alliance is advocating for a single common quality of service that applies to all networks, including wired, Wi-Fi, and 5g wifi. This common approach can be applied across every type of network, because as the various technologies combine they will require a consistent end-to-end quality of service.

With 5G network expansion, it becomes more important to put Wi-Fi and 5G networks together in a quality of service fabric that is flexible and user friendly. Wi-Fi Alliance released a paper this week advocating for the adoption of quality of service measures across WiFi and 5G networks, utilizing the programs they already have.

With the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) RFC 8325, you can maintain consistent service quality across wired and Wi-Fi networks by mapping IETF’s differentiated service code point (DSCP) to IEEE 802.11’s user priority (UP), which is then mapped to Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Multimedia™ (WMM®) access categories.

The paper talks about two specific types of internet infrastructure that can be connected. In a scenario where fixed wireless access is used and 5G, the paper states that it may seem like they would work together seamlessly but they each have their own set of strengths.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED QoS Management provides differentiated QoS for voice, video, best effort, background and so on. This is achieved by mapping DSCP markings to user priority access categories with Wi-Fi. As an example, in managed enterprises and carrier Wi-Fi networks, these QoSs can be achieved with a new mapping scheme that would be usable by network nodes including CPEs, client devices and 3GPP defined gateway functions.

Wi-Fi Alliance is developing QoS for the evolving Wi-Fi and 5G systems. By setting up end-to-end QoS, networks can maintain consistent quality of service for data flows across these networks.

"Consuelo Ortiz, Senior Product Manager at Wi-Fi Alliance, says 'Operators and ISPs should use Wi-Fi QoS Management and DSCP-5QI-UP mapping in their Wi-Fi devices, and submit their products for Wi-Fi QoS Management certification, in order to provide their customers a consistent connectivity experience for traffic traversing wired or wireless networks.'"