Layer 2 FEC in 5 G Broadcast / Multicast Networks

Evolution of broadcast / multicast verticals is pushing for a rapid growth of the wireless communication sectors to support the technical requirements. While 3GPP’s discussion on broadcast / multicast for 5G-NR is at an early stage, the collaborative project 5G-XCast, under H2020 Phase II, is working towards providing a comprehensive solution for a future generation of broadcast / multicast embedded efficiently into 5G communication networks. This white paper presents a case study for the use of a 2nd layer of forward error correction (FEC) utilizing random linear network codes and feedback to implement highly efficient, reliable packet delivery for mixed-mode broadcast / multicast applications. The benefits over the state of the art schemes are illustrated by means of system-level simulations.