All network links are subject to limitations on the amount of traffic that they can support, whether this is a 100 Gb/s fibre link, a 12G SDI cable, or Wi-Fi connection. Wireless links typically have lower capacity as they require the use of a range of radio frequency (RF) resources to transport the information. Radio spectrum is a finite resource, and as wireless technologies have evolved, the need for access to more spectrum has pushed services towards progressively higher frequencies (such as the 26 GHz mmWave band) where there is more unused spectrum available but with reduced coverage range.

Networks based on 5GNR technology (typically deployed around 4 GHz) can provide single-layer uplink throughputs around 1–1.5 b/Hz for downlink-biased configurations (as used by public network operators). Private networks that can be configured to provide uplink-biased connectivity can increase this uplink performance to over 4 b/Hz, but these are still potentially resource-constrained links (particularly in smaller channels).

One attractive feature of private 5G networks or slices on a public network is the reduction in complexity offered by the ability to share the same network infrastructure and resources between numerous user devices and services as and when they are needed. However, this can lead to congestion, where demand for network resources cannot be satisfied by those available. In this case, increases to latency and jitter, or even packet loss, can occur and introduce unacceptable artifacts or frame drops. The 5G standard provides an advanced scheduler to allocate resources among devices, and a plethora of ways to manage quality of service (QoS). These can be readily established for static priority needs, but a major challenge is adapting to dynamic prioritization requirements, which has become known as quality-on-demand (QoD).

This paper discusses the implementation and use of network APIs to provide dynamic control of network prioritization, and its relevance and importance for the broadcast industry to protect key video feeds or critical links. The emerging requirement for implementing open network APIs to maximise vendor and operator compatibility is also addressed.