Random Linear Network Coding for 5G Mobile Video Delivery

An exponential increase in mobile video delivery will continue with the demand for higher resolution, multi-view and large-scale multicast video services. Novel fifth generation (5G) 3GPP New Radio (NR) standard will bring a number of new opportunities for optimizing video delivery across both 5G core and radio access networks. One of the promising approaches for video quality adaptation, throughput enhancement and erasure protection is the use of packet-level random linear network coding (RLNC). In this review paper, we discuss the integration of RLNC into the 5G NR standard, building upon the ideas and opportunities identified in 4G LTE. We explicitly identify and discuss in detail novel 5G NR features that provide support for RLNC-based video delivery in 5G, thus pointing out to the promising avenues for future research.Comment: Invited paper for Special Issue "Network and Rateless Coding for Video Streaming" - MDPI Informatio

CLEVER: a cooperative and cross-layer approach to video streaming in HetNets

We investigate the problem of providing a video streaming service to mobile users in an heterogeneous cellular network composed of micro e-NodeBs (eNBs) and macro e-NodeBs (MeNBs). More in detail, we target a cross-layer dynamic allocation of the bandwidth resources available over a set of eNBs and one MeNB, with the goal of reducing the delay per chunk experienced by users. After optimally formulating the problem of minimizing the chunk delay, we detail the Cross LayEr Video stReaming (CLEVER) algorithm, to practically tackle it. CLEVER makes allocation decisions on the basis of information retrieved from the application layer aswell as from lower layers. Results, obtained over two representative case studies, show that CLEVER is able to limit the chunk delay, while also reducing the amount of bandwidth reserved for offloaded users on the MeNB, as well as the number of offloaded users. In addition, we show that CLEVER performs clearly better than two selected reference algorithms, while being very close to a best bound. Finally, we show that our solution is able to achieve high fairness indexes and good levels of Quality of Experience (QoE)

Scheduling for Multi-Camera Surveillance in LTE Networks

Wireless surveillance in cellular networks has become increasingly important, while commercial LTE surveillance cameras are also available nowadays. Nevertheless, most scheduling algorithms in the literature are throughput, fairness, or profit-based approaches, which are not suitable for wireless surveillance. In this paper, therefore, we explore the resource allocation problem for a multi-camera surveillance system in 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) uplink (UL) networks. We minimize the number of allocated resource blocks (RBs) while guaranteeing the coverage requirement for surveillance systems in LTE UL networks. Specifically, we formulate the Camera Set Resource Allocation Problem (CSRAP) and prove that the problem is NP-Hard. We then propose an Integer Linear Programming formulation for general cases to find the optimal solution. Moreover, we present a baseline algorithm and devise an approximation algorithm to solve the problem. Simulation results based on a real surveillance map and synthetic datasets manifest that the number of allocated RBs can be effectively reduced compared to the existing approach for LTE networks.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figure

Enabling Disaster Resilient 4G Mobile Communication Networks

The 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the cellular technology expected to outperform the previous generations and to some extent revolutionize the experience of the users by taking advantage of the most advanced radio access techniques (i.e. OFDMA, SC-FDMA, MIMO). However, the strong dependencies between user equipments (UEs), base stations (eNBs) and the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) limit the flexibility, manageability and resiliency in such networks. In case the communication links between UEs-eNB or eNB-EPC are disrupted, UEs are in fact unable to communicate. In this article, we reshape the 4G mobile network to move towards more virtual and distributed architectures for improving disaster resilience, drastically reducing the dependency between UEs, eNBs and EPC. The contribution of this work is twofold. We firstly present the Flexible Management Entity (FME), a distributed entity which leverages on virtualized EPC functionalities in 4G cellular systems. Second, we introduce a simple and novel device-todevice (D2D) communication scheme allowing the UEs in physical proximity to communicate directly without resorting to the coordination with an eNB.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Communications Magazin

End-to-End Simulation of 5G mmWave Networks

Due to its potential for multi-gigabit and low latency wireless links, millimeter wave (mmWave) technology is expected to play a central role in 5th generation cellular systems. While there has been considerable progress in understanding the mmWave physical layer, innovations will be required at all layers of the protocol stack, in both the access and the core network. Discrete-event network simulation is essential for end-to-end, cross-layer research and development. This paper provides a tutorial on a recently developed full-stack mmWave module integrated into the widely used open-source ns--3 simulator. The module includes a number of detailed statistical channel models as well as the ability to incorporate real measurements or ray-tracing data. The Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers are modular and highly customizable, making it easy to integrate algorithms or compare Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) numerologies, for example. The module is interfaced with the core network of the ns--3 Long Term Evolution (LTE) module for full-stack simulations of end-to-end connectivity, and advanced architectural features, such as dual-connectivity, are also available. To facilitate the understanding of the module, and verify its correct functioning, we provide several examples that show the performance of the custom mmWave stack as well as custom congestion control algorithms designed specifically for efficient utilization of the mmWave channel.Comment: 25 pages, 16 figures, submitted to IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials (revised Jan. 2018

Integration of Carrier Aggregation and Dual Connectivity for the ns-3 mmWave Module

Thanks to the wide availability of bandwidth, the millimeter wave (mmWave) frequencies will provide very high data rates to mobile users in next generation 5G cellular networks. However, mmWave links suffer from high isotropic pathloss and blockage from common materials, and are subject to an intermittent channel quality. Therefore, protocols and solutions at different layers in the cellular network and the TCP/IP protocol stack have been proposed and studied. A valuable tool for the end-to-end performance analysis of mmWave cellular networks is the ns-3 mmWave module, which already models in detail the channel, Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, and extends the Long Term Evolution (LTE) stack for the higher layers. In this paper we present an implementation for the ns-3 mmWave module of multi connectivity techniques for 3GPP New Radio (NR) at mmWave frequencies, namely Carrier Aggregation (CA) and Dual Connectivity (DC), and discuss how they can be integrated to increase the functionalities offered by the ns-3 mmWave module.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, submitted to the Workshop on ns-3 (WNS3) 201