Scheduling in IEEE 802.11be Multi-Link Operation for Low Latency and High Reliability

The IEEE 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7) has incorporated the multi-link operation (MLO) feature, facilitating simultaneous transmissions across multiple channels for augmented throughput, diminished latency, and minimized collision probability. The consequential end-to-end (E2E) delay and reliability are contingent upon the scheduling and resource allocation strategy, which are key in maximizing the advantages of MLO. This study introduces an E2E delay analysis model for the anticipated delay of the MLO link, and the model considers the number of nodes and varying arrival rates. Subsequently, we propose an optimized cross-layer MLO resource allocation algorithm specifically designed for XR-type burst traffic. This energy-efficient algorithm offers reduced latency while maintaining high reliability and low computational complexity, demonstrating superiority over existing MLO resource allocation strategies, such as proportional fairness (PF), Greedy, Congestion-Aware, and Condition-Aware Policies.