binary at a time t 0 queue 16 n has four queued packets queue 16 3 has five queued packets queue 16 2 has two queued packets and queue 16 1 has four queued packets each queued packet has been associated with a time stamp tsx indicating the time at which the packet was enqueued relative to the other enqueued packets in particular a lower numbered time stamp e g ts 1 indicates an earlier enqueued packet than a higher numbered time stamp e g ts 15 in or before a first forwarding clock cycle the time stamps of the packets at the heads of the queues are compared to select the earliest enqueued packet as between the packets at the heads of the queues which have the time stamps u201c ts1 u201d u201c ts8 u201d u201c ts3 u201d and u201c ts4 u201d the packet having the time stamp of u201c ts1 u201d has the lowest number and hence is the earliest enqueued packet consequently the packet at the head of queue 16 n having the timestamp u201c ts1 u201d is selected and forwarded 30 the remaining packets in queue 16 n are then advanced such that the packet having the time stamp u201c ts2 u201d is at the head of queue 16 n in or before a second forwarding clock cycle the time stamps of the packets at the heads of the queues are again compared the packet at the head of queue 16 n having the time stamp u201c ts2 u201d is selected and forwarded 32 the remaining packets in queue 16 n are then advanced in or before a third forwarding clock cycle the time stamps of the packets at the heads of the queues.