diff --git a/start_testbed.py b/start_testbed.py
index 1381b99fa68a1b05470e879b03f1d58b0f3386ec..52eec783e55f593c6fa07e91f617b766b6d10e72 100755
--- a/start_testbed.py
+++ b/start_testbed.py
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ def connect_nodes(node1, node2):
         'ip', 'link', 'add', dev_1, 'type', 'veth',
         'peer', 'name', dev_2
         ])
+
+    # Configure the link for network emulation.
+    subprocess.call([
+        'sudo',
+        'tc', 'qdisc', 'add', 'dev', dev_1, 'root', 'handle', '1:0', 'netem'
+        ])
+
     # Add the link endpoints to the container namespaces.
     def add_to_ns(dev,ns):
         subprocess.call([