Optimizing SIP Signaling Latency in Cloud-Native VoIP Systems Using eBPF-Based Traffic Steering

Cloud-native VoIP systems, integral to virtualized telecommunications infrastructures like IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) and Session Border Controllers (SBCs), demand ultra-low latency for SIP signaling to ensure carrier-grade voice quality. However, containerized microservices architectures introduce overheads from network overlays and orchestration, degrading SIP performance. This article proposes an eBPF-based Traffic Steering Framework (eTSF) to optimize SIP signaling latency in cloud-native VoIP deployments. By dynamically rerouting SIP packets at the kernel level using eBPF programs, eTSF bypasses traditional networking bottlenecks and prioritizes real-time traffic. Experimental results demonstrate that eTSF consistently outperforms conventional Kubernetes networking approaches across various load conditions, with the most significant improvements observed during peak traffic periods. The framework enhances carrier-grade metrics, including Post-Dial Delay and Network Effectiveness Ratio, while simultaneously reducing resource utilization. eTSF provides telecommunications providers with a pathway to embrace cloud-native architectures without compromising the performance requirements unique to carrier-grade voice services.