High Reliability and Low Latency for Vehicular Networks: Challenges and Solutions

In recent years, wireless networks are undergoing the paradigm transformation from high-speed data rate to connecting everything, raising the development of Internet of things (IoT). As a typical scenario of IoT, vehicular networks have attracted extensive attentions from automotive and telecommunication industry, especially for ultra-reliable and low latency communication (URLLC) applications. However, the conventional wireless networks are mainly designed for promoting spectral efficiency, without paying sufficient attention to the URLLC requirements. To this end, this paper aims at investigating latency and reliability in vehicular networks. Specifically, we first present promising URLLC applications and requirements. Several performance evaluation methods are subsequently discussed from the viewpoints of physical and media access control layers. Taking advantage of these methods, the underlying transmission techniques and scheduling algorithms can be assessed efficiently and accurately. Finally, some promising solutions are presented in order to tackle potential challenges.