Forward error correction

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer program instructions which, when executed by an apparatus, cause the apparatus to at least:

• obtain channel characteristic information for a communication channel between a transmitter and a receiver in a communication network;
• select, based on the channel characteristic information, a forward error correction (FEC) setting for FEC to be applied to data communications on the communication channel;
• and
• provide, to at least one of the transmitter or the receiver, an indication of the FEC setting for the FEC to be applied to data communications on the communication channel;
• wherein the channel characteristic information comprises at least error modeling information based on modeling of probabilities of error events at the receiver;
• wherein the error modeling information comprises a characterization of error correlation based on relative probabilities of consecutive error events referred to as error clusters;
• wherein the error modeling information comprises information indicative of a received error-cluster distribution and information indicative of an error-free run distribution.

A method, comprising:

• obtaining channel characteristic information for a communication channel between a transmitter and a receiver in a communication network;
• selecting, based on the channel characteristic information, a forward error correction (FEC) setting for FEC to be applied to data communications on the communication channel;
• and
• providing, to at least one of the transmitter or the receiver, an indication of the FEC setting for the FEC to be applied to data communications on the communication channel;
• wherein the channel characteristic information comprises at least error modeling information based on modeling of probabilities of error events at the receiver;
• wherein the error modeling information comprises a characterization of error correlation based on relative probabilities of consecutive error events referred to as error clusters;
• wherein the error modeling information comprises information indicative of a received error-cluster distribution and information indicative of an error-free run distribution.