On the Trade-off Between Spectrum Efficiency with Dedicated Access and Short End-to-End Transmission Delays with Random Access in DVB-RCS2

This paper analyses the performance of TCP over random and dedicated access methods in the context of DVB-RCS2. Random access methods introduce a lower connection delay compared to dedicated methods. We investigate the potential to improve the performance of short flows in regards to transmission delay, over random access methods for DVB-RCS2 that is currently under development. Our simulation experiments show that the transmission of the first ten IP datagrams of each TCP flow can be 500 ms faster with random access than with dedicated access making the former of interest to carry Internet traffic. Such methods, however, are less efficient in regards to bandwidth usage than dedicated access mecanisms and less reliable in overloaded network conditions. Two aspects of channel usage optimization can be distinguished: reducing the duration of ressource utilization with random access methods, or increasing the spectrum efficiency with dedicated access methods. This article argues that service providers may let low-cost users exploit the DVB-RCS2 to browse the web by introducing different services, which choice is based on the channel access method

Improving web experience on DVB-RCS2 links

The specifications of Digital Video Broadcasting - Return Channel via Satellite(DVB-RCS2) state that the satellite gateway could introduce both random and dedicated access methods to distribute the capacity among the different home users. Before starting an engineering process to design an algorithm allowing to combine both methods, it seems necessary to assess the performance of each. This paper compares random and dedicated access methods by measuring their impact on the performance of Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) sessions when the home users exploit the DVB-RCS2 link for regular use (e.g., web browsing or email transmission). In this paper we detail the implementation of an NS-2 module emulating Physical Channel Access (PCA). This module fills a gap in terms of random and deterministic access methods and allows to model various satellite channel access strategies. Based on NS-2 simulations using realistic system parameters of the DVB-RCS2 link, we demonstrate that, compared to dedicated access methods, which generally result in higher levels of transmitted data, random access methods enable faster transmission for short flows. We propose to combine random and dedicated access methods, with the selection of a specific method dependent on the dynamic load of the network and the sequence number of the TCP segments

Software-defined satellite cloud RAN

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Ahmed, T., Dubois, E., Dupé, J.-B., Ferrús, R., Gélard, P., and Kuhn, N. (2018) Software-defined satellite cloud RAN. Int. J. Satell. Commun. Network., 36: 108–133, which has been published in final form at 10.1002/sat.1206. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.This paper provides an assessment study on the virtualization of a Digital Video Broadcasting - Satellite - Second Generation (DVB-S2)/ Digital Video Broadcasting - Return Channel Satellite - Second Generation (DVB-RCS2) satellite ground infrastructure and proposes a framework, named Satellite Cloud Radio Access Network (SatCloudRAN), that aims to ease the integration of satellite components in forthcoming 5G systems. Special attention is given to the design of SatCloudRAN by considering the split and placement of virtualized and nonvirtualized functions while taking into account the characteristics of the transport links connecting both type of functions. We assess how virtualization and softwarization technologies, namely, network function virtualization and software-defined networking, can deliver part of the satellite gateway functionalities as virtual network functions and achieve a flexible and programmable control and management of satellite infrastructure. Under the network function virtualization paradigm, building virtual network function blocks that compose a satellite gateway have been identified, and their interaction exhibited. This paper also gives insights on how the SatCloudRAN approach can allow operators to provide software-defined networking-based (1) bandwidth on demand, (2) dynamic Quality of Service, and (3) satellite gateway diversity.Peer ReviewedPreprin

Software-defined satellite cloud RAN

This paper provides a feasibility study on the virtualization of a DVB-S2/DVB-RCS2 satellite ground infrastructure and its SDN-based management and control. The proposed framework, SatCloudRAN, is expected to increase the opportunities of smoothly integrating the satellite components in forthcoming 5G systems. We analyze the design of SatCloudRAN by considering various chaining of virtual and physical functions and the characteristics of the links between them. We based our analysis on a generic architecture of bidirectional access networks that follows the normative documents of the broadband forum and leverage virtualization and softwarization technologies, namely NFV and SDN, to achieve a flexible and programmable control and management of satellite infrastructure. Using a SatCloudRAN approach, network operators will be able to provide: (1) optimized dynamic QoS, (2) resilient management of multiple satellite gateways, and (3) dynamic bandwidth on demand. Copyright c 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

The MoSaKa QoS system: Architecture and evaluation

The provision of Quality-of-Service (QoS) in packet-switched transmissions over highly mobile satellite terminals presents challenges not solved by existing schemes like Integrated Services and Differentiated Services. Such schemes rely on stable link conditions, a requirement that cannot be guaranteed in a mobile environment. To support robust audio and video conferencing, an end-to-end reservation-based approach is inevitable. This led to the development of the MoSaKa QoS System, which combines a reservation-based QoS scheme with the ability to deal with changing link conditions. The main idea was to enable applications to degrade gracefully if an unstable link deteriorates. Each router implements a crosslayer QoS agent, which tracks the network-layer-based QoS and takes the current status of the lower layers into account. Certain flows can be suspended without canceling them if the capacity of a link deteriorates. To select which flow has to be suspended, an optimizer was implemented which examines the flows for their priority and respective QoS requirements. To depict how this optimizer works and how the system performs, a testbed with an emulated satellite link was set up. The obtained results show, that the presented system is able to provide appropriate QoS over unstable links

A REVIEW STUDY OF EUROPEAN R&D PROJECTS FOR SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS IN 5G/6G ERA

Κατά τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες τα δορυφορικά συστήματα τηλεπικοινωνιών έχουν προσφέρει μια γκάμα από πολυμεσικές υπηρεσίες όπως δορυφορική τηλεόραση, δορυφορική τηλεφωνία και ευρυζωνική πρόσβαση στο διαδίκτυο. Οι μακροπρόθεσμες τεχνολογικές αναβαθμίσεις σε συνδυασμό με την προσθήκη νέων δορυφορικών συστημάτων γεωστατικής και ελλειπτικής τροχιάς και με την ενσωμάτωση τεχνολογιών πληροφορικής έχουν ωθήσει την αύξηση του μέγιστου εύρους των δορυφόρων στο 1Gbps σε μεμονωμένους δορυφόρους ενώ σε διάταξη αστερισμού μπορούν να ξεπεράσουν το 1 Tbps. Σε συνδυασμό με την μείωση του χρόνου απόκρισης σε ρυθμούς ανταγωνιστικούς με τις χερσαίες υποδομές ανοίγουν νέες ευκαιρίες και νέους ρόλους εντός ενός οικοσυστήματος ετερογενούς δικτύων 5ης γενιάς. Σε αυτήν την διατριβή, αξιολογούμε επιδοτούμενα επιστημονικά προγράμματα έρευνας και ανάπτυξης της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής Διαστήματος (ESA) και του προγράμματος επιδότησης Horizon 2020 της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης, προκειμένου να εξηγήσουμε τις δυνατότητες των δορυφόρων εντός ενός ετερογενούς δικτύου 5ης γενιάς, αναφέρουμε συγκεκριμένα αυτά που αφορούν την εξέλιξη των δορυφορικών ψηφιακών συστημάτων και την ικανότητα ενσωμάτωσης τους σε τωρινές αλλά και μελλοντικές υποδομές χερσαίων τηλεπικοινωνιακών δικτύων μέσω της εμφάνισης νέων τεχνολογιών στις ηλεκτρονικές και οπτικές επικοινωνίες αέρος μαζί με την εμφάνιση τεχνολογιών πληροφορικής όπως της δικτύωσης βασισμένης στο λογισμικό και της εικονικοποίησης λειτουργιών δικτύου. Αναφερόμαστε στους στόχους του κάθε project ξεχωριστά και κατηγοριοποιημένα στους ακόλουθους τομείς έρευνας: -Συσσωμάτωση των δορυφόρων με τα επίγεια δίκτυα 5ης γενιάς με οργανωμένες μελέτες και στρατηγικές -Ενσωμάτωση των τεχνολογιών δικτύωσης βασισμένης στο λογισμικό και εικονικοποίησης λειτουργιών δικτύου στο δορυφορικών τμήμα των δικτύων 5ης γενιάς -Ο ρόλος των δορυφόρων σε εφαρμογές του διαδικτύου των πραγμάτων σε συνάφεια με τα χερσαία δίκτυα 5ης γενιάς -Ο ρόλος των δορυφόρων στην δίκτυα διανομής πολυμεσικού περιεχομένου & η επιρροή των πρωτοκόλλων διαδικτύου στην ποιότητα υπηρεσίας χρήστη κατά την διάρκεια μιας δορυφορικής σύνδεσης. -Μελλοντικές βελτιώσεις και εφαρμογές στα δορυφορικά συστήματα με έμφαση στα μελλοντικά πρότυπα του φυσικό επιπέδου Στο τέλος διαθέτουμε ένα παράρτημα που αφορά τεχνικές αναλύσεις στην εξέλιξη του φυσικού επιπέδου των δορυφορικών συστημάτων, συνοδευόμενο με την συσχετιζόμενη βιβλιογραφία για περαιτέρω μελέτη.Over the last decades satellite telecommunication systems offer many types of multimedia services like Satellite TV, telephony and broadband internet access. The long-term technological evolutions occurred into state-of-the-art satellite systems altogether with the addition of new high throughput geostatic and non-geostatic systems, individual satellites can now achieve a peak bandwidth of up to Gbps, and with possible extension into satellite constellation systems the total capacity can reach up to Tbps. Supplementary, with systems latency being comparable to terrestrial infrastructures and with integration of several computer science technologies, satellite systems can achieve new & more advanced roles inside a heterogeneous 5G network’s ecosystem. In this thesis, we have studied European Space Agency (ESA’s) and European Union’s (EU) Horizon 2020 Research and Development (R&D) funded projects in order to describe the satellite capabilities within a 5G heterogeneous network, mentioning the impact of the evolution of digital satellite communications and furthermore the integration with the state-of the art & future terrain telecommunication systems by new technologies occurred through the evolution of electronic & free space optical communications alongside with the integration of computer science’s technologies like Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV). In order to describe this evolution we have studied the concepts of each individual project, categorized chronically and individual by its scientific field of research. Our main scientific trends for this thesis are: -Satellite Integration studies & strategies into the 5G terrestrial networks -Integration of SDN and NFV technologies on 5G satellite component -Satellite’s role in the Internet of Things applications over 5G terrestrial networks -Satellite’s role in Content Distribution Networks & internet protocols impact over user’s Quality of Experience (QoE) over a satellite link -The future proposals upon the evolution of Satellite systems by upcoming improvements and corresponding standards Finally, we have created an Annex for technical details upon the evolution of physical layer of the satellite systems with the corresponding bibliography of this thesis for future study

Economically sustainable public security and emergency network exploiting a broadband communications satellite

The research contributes to work in Rapid Deployment of a National Public Security and Emergency Communications Network using Communication Satellite Broadband. Although studies in Public Security Communication networks have examined the use of communications satellite as an integral part of the Communication Infrastructure, there has not been an in-depth design analysis of an optimized regional broadband-based communication satellite in relation to the envisaged service coverage area, with little or no terrestrial last-mile telecommunications infrastructure for delivery of satellite solutions, applications and services. As such, the research provides a case study of a Nigerian Public Safety Security Communications Pilot project deployed in regions of the African continent with inadequate terrestrial last mile infrastructure and thus requiring a robust regional Communications Satellite complemented with variants of terrestrial wireless technologies to bridge the digital hiatus as a short and medium term measure apart from other strategic needs. The research not only addresses the pivotal role of a secured integrated communications Public safety network for security agencies and emergency service organizations with its potential to foster efficient information symmetry amongst their operations including during emergency and crisis management in a timely manner but demonstrates a working model of how analogue spectrum meant for Push-to-Talk (PTT) services can be re-farmed and digitalized as a “dedicated” broadband-based public communications system. The network’s sustainability can be secured by using excess capacity for the strategic commercial telecommunication needs of the state and its citizens. Utilization of scarce spectrum has been deployed for Nigeria’s Cashless policy pilot project for financial and digital inclusion. This effectively drives the universal access goals, without exclusivity, in a continent, which still remains the least wired in the world

Impact of Acknowledgements Using IETF QUIC on Satellite Performance

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The MTAILS CCN project received European Space Agency funding under Contract No. 4000122992. The authors thank Nicholas Kuhn for data and discussion relating to the performance of PicoQUIC over an emulated satellite link. The authors also thank Dr. Raffaello Secchi for discussion and review of the presented content.Postprin

Reducing the acknowledgement frequency in IETF QUIC

Research Funding European Space Agency University of AberdeenPeer reviewedPublisher PD