Pairing of access nodes for dual-connectivity based on evaluation of inter-access-node delay

A computing system for controlling configuration of dual-connectivity service for a user equipment device (UE), wherein the dual-connectivity service includes the UE being served concurrently by a master access node (MN) over a first air-interface connection and by a secondary access node (SN) over a second air-interface connection, the computing system comprising:

• a processing unit;
• non-transitory data storage;
• and
• program instructions stored in the non-transitory data storage and executable by the processing unit to carry out operations including:
• identifying a plurality of pairs of access nodes as candidate pairs of access nodes to be the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service,
• for each identified pair of access nodes, determining an inter-access-node communication delay,
• comparing the determined inter-access-node communication delays of the identified pairs of access nodes and, based on the comparing, selecting one of the identified pairs of access nodes to be the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service, and
• causing the dual-connectivity service to be set up for the UE with the selected pair of access nodes being the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service.

At least one non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by at least one processing unit to carry out operations for controlling configuration of dual-connectivity service for a user equipment device (UE), wherein the dual-connectivity service includes the UE being served concurrently by a master access node (MN) over a first air-interface connection and by a secondary access node (SN) over a second air-interface connection, the operations comprising:

• identifying a plurality of pairs of access nodes as candidate pairs of access nodes to be the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service;
• for each identified pair of access nodes, determining an inter-access-node communication delay;
• comparing the determined inter-access-node communication delays of the identified pairs of access nodes and, based on the comparing, selecting one of the identified pairs of access nodes to be the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service;
• and
• causing the dual-connectivity service to be set up for the UE with the selected pair of access nodes being the MN and SN for the dual-connectivity service.