Call admission control for interactive multimedia satellite networks.

Master of Science in Engineering (Electronic). University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban 2015.Satellite communication has become an integral component of global access communication network due mainly to its ubiquitous coverage, large bandwidth and ability to support for large numbers of users over fixed and mobile devices. However, the multiplicity of multimedia applications with diverse requirements in terms of quality of service (QoS) poses new challenges in managing the limited and expensive resources. Furthermore, the time-varying nature of the propagation channel due to atmospheric and environmental effects also poses great challenges to effective utilization of resources and the satisfaction of users’ QoS requirements. Efficient radio resource management (RRM) techniques such as call admission control (CAC) and adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) are required in order to guarantee QoS satisfaction for user established connections and realize maximum and efficient utilization of network resources. In this work, we propose two CAC policies for interactive satellite multimedia networks. The two policies are based on efficient adaptation of transmission parameters to the dynamic link characteristics. In the first policy which we refer to as Gaussian Call Admission Control with Link Adaptation (GCAC-LA), we invoke the central limit theorem to statistically multiplex rate based dynamic capacity (RBDC) connections and obtain an aggregate bandwidth and required capacity for the multiplex. Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC) is employed for transmission over the time-varying wireless channel of the return link of an interactive satellite network. By associating users’ channel states to particular transmission parameters, the amount of resources required to satisfy user connection requirements in each state is determined. Thus the admission control policy considers in its decision, the channel states of all existing and new connections. The performance of the system is investigated by simulation and the results show that AMC significantly improves the utilization and call blocking performance by more than twice that of a system without link adaptation. In the second policy, a Game Theory based CAC policy with link adaptation (GTCAC-LA) is proposed. The admission of a new user connection under the GTCAC-LA policy is based on a non-cooperative game that is played between the network (existing user connections) and the new connection. A channel prediction scheme that predicts the rain attenuation on the link in successive intervals of time is also proposed. This determines the current resource allocation for every source at any point in time. The proposed game is played each time a new connection arrives and the strategies adopted by players are based on utility function, which is estimated based on the required capacity and the actual resources allocated. The performance of the CAC policy is investigated for different prediction intervals and the results show that multiple interval prediction scheme shows better performance than the single interval scheme. Performance of the proposed CAC policies indicates their suitability for QoS provisioning for traffic of multimedia connections in future 5G networks

Adaptive power link adaptation on DVB-T system based on picture quality feedback

In digital television systems such as DVB-T, service provider has difficulties to observe the quality of picture reception in the viewers’ television. This is due to the unavailability of quality feedback sent from viewers’ devices to the service provider. Therefore, this research proposes link adaptation method in DVB-T system based on image quality measurement at recipient side, so that service provider may adjust the transmission power in real-time to improve the image quality. Quality metric used in this research is human perception- based no-reference image quality metric, which does not need the presence of the reference frame. The quality assessment is focused on the severeness of blocking artifact, which is the dominant artifacts in MPEG video. The numerical results have shown that power adaptation could maintain good picture quality as well as transmission power efficiency at the same time on the digital television transmission system. The proposed scheme is also suitable for other DVB system as well as various digital television system standards

Enlace de retorno satelital DVB-RCS2 : modelagem de fila e otimização de alocação de recursos baseada em teoria dos jogos

Tese (doutorado) — Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Elétrica, 2022.É esperado que satélites tenham um papel fundamental no futuro dos sistemas de comunicação, integrando-se às infraestruturas terrestres. Esta dissertação de mestrado propõe três contribuições principais: primeiramente, se apresenta um arcabouço de simulação capaz de prover detalhes da performance de redes de comunicação satelital em cenários realistas. Este arcabouço aplica uma metodologia orientada a eventos, modelando a rede de comunicação como um sistema baseado em eventos discretos (DES), focando no enlace de retorno do protocolo DVB-RCS2. Três diferentes cenários simulados demonstram os possíveis usos das saídas do simulador para entender o comportamento dinâmico da rede e alcançar um ponto ótimo de operação do sistema. Cada cenário explora uma característica diferente do simulador, enquanto cobre um grande território de usuários, que em nosso caso estudo o país de escolha foi o Brasil. Em um segundo tópico, este trabalho introduz um novo algoritmo modificado do método de alocação de timeslots baseado em teoria dos jogos, aplicando-se no protocolo DVB-RCS2. Este procedimento considera a eficiência espectral do terminal como um parâmetro de peso para o problema de otimização convexa resultante da solução da barganha de Nash. Este novo método garante o cumprimento dos requisitos de Qualidade de Serviço (QoS) enquanto provê uma medida de justiça maior; os resultados mostram uma melhoria de 5% na medida de justiça, com uma diminuição de 75% no desvio padrão de justiça entre os quadros, também alcançando um aumento de 12% na satisfação individual média pela alocação de capacidade aos terminais. Por final, apresentamos uma modelagem alternativa para o enlace de retorno do DVB-RCS2 usando cadeias de Markov, predizendo parâmetros tradicionais de fila como a intensidade de tráfego, tempo médio de espera, dentre outros. Utilizamos dados coletados de uma série de simulações usando o arcabouço orientado a eventos para validar o modelo de filas como uma aproximação numérica útil para o cenário real de aplicação. Nós apresentamos o algoritmo de alocação de controle do parâmetro alfa (GTAC) que consegue controlar o tempo médio de espera de um RCST na fila, respeitando um limiar de tempo enquanto otimiza a taxa média média de transmissão de dados dos terminais.Satellite networks are expected to play a vital role in future communication systems, with complex features and seamless integration with ground-based infrastructure. This dissertation proposes three main contributions: firstly, it presents a novel simulation framework capable of providing a detailed assessment of a satellite communication’s network performance in realistic scenarios, employing an event-driven methodology and modeling the communications network as a DES (discrete event system). This work focuses on the return link of the Digital Video Broadcast Return Channel via Satellite (DVB-RCS2) standard. Three different scenarios demonstrate possible uses of the simulator’s output to understand the network’s dynamic behavior and achievable optimal system operation. Each scenario explores a different feature of the simulator. The simulated range covers a large territory with thousands of users, which in our case study was the country of Brazil. In the second theme, this work introduces a novel algorithm modification for the conventional game theory-based time slot assignment method, applying it to the DVB-RCS system. This procedure considers the spectral efficiency as a weighting parameter. We use it as an input for the resulting convex optimization problem of the Nash Bargaining Solution. This approach guarantees the fulfillment of Quality of Service (QoS) constraints while maintaining a higher fairness measure; results show a 5% improvement in fairness, with a 73% decrease in the standard deviation of fairness between frames, while also managing to reach a 12.5% increase in average normalized terminal BTU allocation satisfaction. Lastly, we present an alternative queuing model analysis for the DVB-RCS2 return link using Markov chains, developed to predict traditional queue parameters such as traffic intensity, average queue size, average waiting time, among others. We used data gathered from a series of simulations using the DES framework to validate this queuing model as a useful numerical approximation to the real application scenario, and, by the end of the scope, we present the alpha allocation algorithm (GTAC) that can maintain the average waiting time of a terminal in the queue to a threshold while optimizing the average terminal throughput

Energy-efficient link resource allocation in the multibeam satellite downlink under QoS constraints

The paper proposes a novel adaptive coding and modulation scheme, based on DVB-S2X standard, which ensure very high spectral efficiency, and an energy-efficient power control (PC) algorithm to optimize the goodput over a multibeam satellite downlink. Results show performance improvement whenand compared withto conventional PC approaches based on rate satisfaction

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

Advanced random access techniques for satellite communications

In this thesis, Advanced Random Access techniques for Satellite Communications are studied. In the last years, new advances in multi-access communication protocols together with the increasing need for bidirectional communications in consumer type of interactive satellite terminals have revived the interest for a set of schemes able to guarantee high-speed and low latency communications in bursty traffic conditions. In this work, starting from the latest findings on Aloha-based Random Access schemes, the optimization of such techniques and their use in closed-loop scenarios is investigated with particular regard to the Return Channel over Satellite of Digital Video Broadcasting. The thesis starts with a summary on the state of the art of Demand Assigned and Random Access techniques as well as on the recent evolution from the first to the second version of the Return Channel over Satellite of the Digital Video Broadcasting specification. In chapter 2 a stability and packet delay model for channel analysis and design are presented, showing that proper design through this tools can ensure high performance of the new access scheme. The use of control limit policies is also introduced and its use is thoroughly discussed both for finite and infinite users population showing that, differently from Slotted Aloha, in some cases static design over dynamic policies might be preferable if long propagation delay is present. In chapter 3 the same models and tools introduced for CRDSA are extended to the case of asynchronous Random Access schemes and a comparison of the two families of schemes is put in place demonstrating that asynchronous techniques are convenient only when the signal-to-noise ratio is high enough to ensure decodability of partially colliding packets. In chapter 4 a new access scheme currently patent pending is presented. In this scheme terminals access the channel in an unframed manner. It is shown that such a change brings improvements that further diminish latency due to immediate transmission of the first replica and further boost throughput because the number of loops on the corresponding bipartite graph representation is mitigated. The thesis concludes with a call for a new discussion of resource allocation in multi-access satellite communication scenarios such as DVB-RCS2 in light of the obtained results and of the new requirements in interactive satellite networks

RESOURCE DIMENSIONING OF BROADBAND SATELLITE RETURN NETWORKS AFFECTED BY RAIN FADE

The use of Ka-band in satellite links has made rain attenuation a major concern in satellite network design. Fade mitigation techniques come at the expense of higher satellite resource consumption, such as bandwidth and power. An accurate estimation of this consumption is essential for the satellite service providers' business case, product strategy, and overall service pricing. However, the spatial correlation of rain fade introduces a high level of model complexity, and no method is currently available to compute its impact on resource consumption. Focusing on the return link of satellite broadband networks, this dissertation proposes a satellite resource dimensioning process that accounts for such a correlation in several scenarios, depending on the network's adaptability to rain fade. Firstly, we investigate nonadaptive network scenarios and answer the following question: how can the long-term bandwidth requirement of the network be minimized, given a set of ground terminals, modulations and codings, and discrete bandwidths? We formally define the long-term carrier allocation problem and analyze current practical solutions. We subsequently investigate two other potential solutions, found to be more bandwidth-efficient: one based on heuristics and another based on mixed integer linear programming. Finally, we look at the impact of several parameters on the performance of those three methods. Overall, we observe marginal reductions in bandwidth, however, significant (>10%) gains are reached for networks with small return links with low committed information rates. Secondly, we investigate semi-adaptive network scenarios with the introduction of adaptive coding and modulation. However, these technologies come at the cost of higher complexity when designing the network's carrier plan and user terminals. Taking into account those issues is even more important when the satellite link uses frequencies in Ka-band and above, where rain attenuation is a major concern. To consider such phenomena, we reformulate the previously presented solutions to factor in spatially correlated attenuation time series, in the form of a mixed integer linear programming optimization problem. The numerical results for a test scenario in Europe show significant bandwidth improvements. Lastly, we investigate fully-adaptive network scenarios and introduce multibeam aspects. We formulate a quantile estimation problem based on the broadband service level agreements. Then, we solve this problem for a given confidence relative interval using spatially correlated rain fade sample generators. Finally, we provide numerical results for residential and enterprise broadband satellite scenarios, allowing us to determine the underestimation and overestimation of satellite resource consumption made by optimistic (independent) and pessimistic (fully correlated) rain fade assumptions, respectively. Results show that for both assumptions, the satellite resource consumption can be significantly underestimated or overestimated, thus proving the importance of considering the spatial correlation of rain fade in the satellite resource dimensioning problem.Resource dimensioning of broadband satellite return networks affected by rain fade9. Industry, innovation and infrastructur