An Evaluation of Device-to-Device Communication and URLLC Service in 5G Networks

Device-to-device (D2D) communication allows devices to exchange messages directly over a cellular network without always requiring a base station as an intermediary. In 5G networks, D2D communication is particularly appealing for vehicular-to-everything (V2X) communication because it can meet the ultra-low latency and high reliability requirements of the URLLC (Ultra-Reliable Low Latency Communications) service. However, meeting URLLC requirements remains challenging even years after its definition and the deployment of 5G networks. This article investigates and evaluates D2D communication in the context of the URLLC service using the Simu5G simulator. The study presents the main 3GPP standard definitions for D2D and URLLC communication and evaluates the D2D and URLLC features implemented in the simulator.