Global Time for Interactive Applications over Global Packet Networks

Abstract

This work presents that global time (a.k.a. time-of-day or coordinated universal time – UTC) is essential in maximizing user perceived quality of service, while eliminating both switching bottlenecks – critical in very high capacity network core – and communications link bottlenecks – at the low speed access (e.g., wireless and DSL). Global time obtained, for example, from GPS (Global Positioning System) or Galileo, is used in the design of all streaming media applications such as toll quality telephony, videotelephony and videoconferencing. The proposed solution, that can be applied to the Internet without changes to any of the existing protocols, provides a guaranteed quality service to each application without requiring nodes to keep state information on microflows.