Optimised Packet Delivery Across a Transport Network

摘要

A method of prioritising packets for delivery over a transport network interconnecting nodes of a mobile network, where a guaranteed minimum information rate over the transport network is specified for the mobile network. The method comprises, for each bearer to be injected into the transport network from the mobile network, specifying a bearer information rate and marking packets up to that rate as conformant with the bearer information rate and marking packets exceeding that rate as non-conformant with the bearer information rate. A plurality of traffic type streams from the mobile network are converged, each traffic type stream comprising a plurality of bearers. Packets of the converged traffic type streams are inspected to identify packets marked as conformant and non-conformant, and re-marking non-conformant packets, or at least a fraction of non-conformant packets, as conformant if the converged rate of conformant packets is less than said minimum information rate. The transport network prioritises the delivery of packets marked as conformant over those packets marked as non-conformant.