Transport layer and Synchronization for Smart Grid and Industrial Internet in 5G Networks

Industrial internet is the main customer for 5G networks. However, mobile networks cannot deliver currently the required reliability and transport infrastructure. In the past mobile networks were designed for personal communications optimized for downlink data transfer. A new transport that provides seamless connectivity between mobile and fixed devices is required. Moreover, reliable timing information has to be delivered to both cellular and fixed devices with predictable delay to enable synchronous communications. This paper studies limitations of utilizing the current transport in mobile networks for smart grid and industrial communications. A new transport layer is proposed and the solution to deliver accurate timing information. Finally, the paper studies capabilities of deploying the proposed transport in both 4G but also in emerging 5G cellular networks.