Performance Evaluation of 5G Multi-Connectivity with Packet Duplication for Reliable Low Latency Communication in Mobility Scenarios

The fifth generation (5G) networks and beyond enable technologies that are key to meeting the exponentially increasing demands of next generation services for reliable low latency communication under various mobility scenarios. Millimeter wave technology is a key enabler for 5G use cases; however, mmWave links have a lower transmission range and are subject to blockages. Multi-connectivity (MC) enhances the system performance by providing multiple simultaneous links between the user equipment (UE) and the base stations. In such systems, packet duplication can be used to meet the stringent reliability and latency requirements of modern cellular networks as data packets are duplicated and transmitted concurrently over two independent links. We propose and evaluate a novel 5G deployment with new radio dual connectivity (NR-DC) and packet duplication using the Simu5G network simulator for enabling future 5G systems, especially in mobility scenarios. We also analyze possible enhancements in the system to improve the radio resource utilization when packet duplication is implemented. Our simulation results show the improvement in reliability and latency that NR-DC with optimized packet duplication could bring to next generation applications and services like enhanced vehicle-to-everything (V2X) scenarios.