In addition to transforming wireless access networks and storage services, RLNC can facilitate channel and network bundling to combine the throughput and reliability of multiple networks when required. A demonstration of channel bundling in a WiFi setting is described below.

This is an increasingly useful feature, since technology integration trends are turning wireless access networks into heterogeneous multipath environments. RLNC thus enables Multipath Communications across multiple markets. Some of the major applications are:

• Heterogeneous network channel bundling for improved QoE, namely:
  • LTE + WiFi (e.g., Internet and Cellular Service Providers),
  • xDSL + VDSL (e.g., CDN),
  • MPLS + Internet (e.g., Carriers),
  • Satellite + Cellular (e.g., In-flight Internet).

• Multi-path TCP (e.g., combining cellular and/or satellite with WiFi access to minimize costs),
• Content Distribution Networks (CDNs),
• Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV),
• Cloud Services,
• Satellite Communications (e.g., multi-channel and multi-beam communications and satellite relaying for maritime communications, mid-air (airplane) internet connectivity, remote location internet access).

In today’s protocols, the state of each packet in transit is tracked to ensure reliability (e.g., TCP), an expensive and complex procedure, which has hindered the development of channel- and network-bonding solutions.

RLNC addresses the root of the problem by eliminating the need for tracking the state of each individual packet. As a consequence, RLNC allows an edge user or gateway to stream content or download files by seamlessly combining channels with variable loss, latency and bandwidth characteristics.

The underlying principle can be summed up as follows. Since the code description is embedded in each packet, RLNC renders packets interchangeable and arrival order irrelevant.

RLNC’s native multipath support and its recoding feature form a powerful combination. Together, they enable reliable and low-latency mobile streaming, cloud networking, as well as seamless network offload (e.g., LTE+WiFi).

For more information on RLNC Multipath products, please contact us

• Coded Multipath TCP (C-MPTCP) in WLAN / cellular scenarios shows an order-of-magnitude reduction of download delays and goodput gains compared to uncoded MPTCP,
• Slashes download delays and reduces administrative complexity,

• Improves uptime and improves throughput by an order of magnitude over uncoded MPTCP in combined cellular, WiFi, and satellite networks,
• Increases robustness, flexibility and throughput potential.

RLNC allows a wireless edge user to download files by seamlessly combining channels with wide-ranging loss, latency and bandwidth characteristics, without need for complex scheduling. No path coordination is necessary at the source.This inherent multipath capability is often referred to as channel bundling.

Our partners at Steinwurf have recently demonstrated channel bundling.

The demonstrated setup uses two laptops with 3 WiFi interfaces each. The laptops are hence connected using three orthogonal channels with varying interference levels. As data is being transferred from one laptop to the other, the demo video illustrates the contribution of each channel to the received throughput, in absolute (top plot) and relative (bottom plot) terms. Throughout the data transfer, WiFi channels are removed and added, with the throughput effects showing in real-time. The demo illustrates the successful implementation of channel bundling in a scenario with multiple fluctuating paths.

[For more information about this and other RLNC demos, please Contact Us.]