Shaping 5G for the tactile internet

Abstract

The Tactile Internet is envisioned to transport touch and actuation in real-time. It will enable unprecedented applications and revolutionize almost every segment of the society. It is expected that the next generation 5G mobile communications networks will enable the Tactile Internet at the wireless edge. The tactile internet creates daunting new requirements for 5G network design. This chapter focuses on the key technological concepts which lay at the intersection of 5G and the Tactile Internet. The chapter outlines the key application areas of the Tactile Internet. This is followed by an end-to-end architecture of the Tactile Internet. The chapter also presents the key technical requirements of the Tactile Internet along with some potential solutions to meet these requirements. Such solutions revolve around protocol-level and system-level innovations.