Dynamic bandwidth allocation

Dynamic bandwidth allocation is a technique by which traffic bandwidth in a shared telecommunications medium can be allocated on demand and fairly between different users of that bandwidth. This is a form of <a href="/facts/Bandwidth_management/pkKGGHlR">bandwidth management</a>, and is essentially the same thing as <a href="/facts/Statistical_multiplexing/rLGcaGHV">statistical multiplexing</a>.[disputed – discuss] Where the sharing of a link adapts in some way to the instantaneous traffic demands of the nodes connected to the link.
Dynamic bandwidth allocation takes advantage of several attributes of shared networks:

<ol><li>all users are typically not connected to the network at one time</li>
<li>even when connected, users are not transmitting data (or voice or video) at all times</li>
<li>most traffic occurs in bursts—there are gaps between packets of information that can be filled with other user traffic</li></ol>
Different network protocols implement dynamic bandwidth allocation in different ways. These methods are typically defined in <a href="/facts/Standardization/vS9AhNMS">standards</a> developed by standards bodies such as the <a href="/facts/ITU/Yn8UKKkw">ITU</a>, <a href="/facts/IEEE/UddC4pUW">IEEE</a>, FSAN, or <a href="/facts/IETF/tIcCsFhX">IETF</a>. One example is defined in the ITU G.983 specification for <a href="/facts/Passive_optical_network/1E3x5V96">passive optical network</a> (PON).

Dynamic bandwidth allocation open-in-new

Dynamic bandwidth allocation