Quality of service monitoring: Performance metrics across proprietary content domains

We propose a quality of service (QoS) monitoring program for broadband access to measure the impact of proprietary network spaces. Our paper surveys other QoS policy initiatives, including those in the airline, and wireless and wireline telephone industries, to situate broadband in the context of other markets undergoing regulatory devolution. We illustrate how network architecture can create impediments to open communications, and how QoS monitoring can detect such effects. We present data from a field test of QoS-monitoring software now in development. We suggest QoS metrics to gauge whether information "walled gardens" represent a real threat for dividing the Internet into proprietary spaces. To demonstrate our proposal, we are placing our software on the computers of a sample of broadband subscribers. The software periodically conducts a battery of tests that assess the quality of connections from the subscriber's computer to various content sites. Any systematic differences in connection quality between affiliated and non-affiliated content sites would warrant research into the behavioral implications of those differences. QoS monitoring is timely because the potential for the Internet to break into a loose network of proprietary content domains appears stronger than ever. Recent court rulings and policy statements suggest a growing trend towards relaxed scrutiny of mergers and the easing or elimination of content ownership rules. This policy environment could lead to a market with a small number of large, vertically integrated network operators, each pushing its proprietary content on subscribers.Comment: 29th TPRC Conference, 200

Remote terminal system evaluation

An Earth Resources Data Processing System was developed to evaluate the system for training, technology transfer, and data processing. In addition to the five sites included in this project two other sites were connected to the system under separate agreements. The experience of these two sites is discussed. The results of the remote terminal project are documented in seven reports: one from each of the five project sites, Purdue University, and an overview report summarizing the other six reports

Optimizing integrated service for a transit route with heterogeneous demand

The methodology developed in this dissertation attempts to optimize integrated service that minimizes the total cost, including user and supplier costs, of a transit route with heterogeneous demand. While minimizing total cost, a set of practical constraints, such as capacity, operable fleet size and frequency conservation, are considered. The research problem is presented in three scenarios, consisting of various service patterns (e.g., all-stop, short-turn and express) under heterogeneous demand. A logit-based model was used to estimate passenger transfer demand. An exhaustive search method was developed to find the optimal solutions for a simplified transit route with six stops, and a Genetic Algorithm (GA) was developed to find the optimal solution for a real-world, large scale transit route. The optimized variables include the combination of service patterns, the associated service frequencies, and stops skipped by the express service. A six-stop transit route was designed and analyzed via a proof-of-concept demonstration to ensure that the developed models are capable of finding the optimal solutions. A sensitivity analysis was conducted, which enables transit planners to quantify the impact of various model parameters (e.g., user value of time, vehicle capacity, operating cost, etc.) to the decision variables and the objective function. Finally, the developed models and solution algorithm were applied to optimize integrated service for a real world bus route in New Jersey

On the Use of Hybrid Heuristics for Providing Service to Select the Return Channel in an Interactive Digital TV Environment

The technologies used to link the end-user to a telecommunication infrastructure, has been changing over time due to the consolidation of new access technologies. Moreover, the emergence of new tools for information dissemination, such as interactive digital TV, makes the selection of access technology, factor of fundamental importance. One of the greatest advantages of using digital TV as means to disseminate information is the installation of applications. In this chapter, a load characterization of a typical application embedded in a digital TV is performed to determine its behavior. However, it is important to note that applications send information through an access technology. Therefore, this chapter, based on the study on load characterization, developed a methodology combining Bayesian networks and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) analytical approach to provide support to service providers to opt for a technology (power line communication, PLC, wireless, wired, etc.) for the return channel

TechNews digests: Jan - Nov 2009

TechNews is a technology, news and analysis service aimed at anyone in the education sector keen to stay informed about technology developments, trends and issues. TechNews focuses on emerging technologies and other technology news. TechNews service : digests september 2004 till May 2010 Analysis pieces and News combined publish every 2 to 3 month

A GIS based multi-modal multiple optimal path transit advanced traveler information system

A method for the design and use of a Transit Advanced Traveler Information System (TATIS) using an off-the-shelf Geographic Information System (GIS) is developed in this thesis. The research design included: 1) representing multi-modal transit networks in a digital form with schedule databases; 2) development of a multiple optimal path algorithm that takes into account walking transfers using published time schedules; 3) incorporating user preferences and penalties in the algorithm; 4) development of a user-interface with suitable output capabilities; 5) using the prototype for sample inquiries giving performance measures. This prototype was developed using the Arc/Info GIS developed by ESRI, Inc. The principal results of the research demonstrated the effectiveness and robustness of the TATIS prototype with respect to the five previously mentioned issues. Areas of future improvement and research focus on performance measures and added functionality

The Supply Side of the Digital Divide: Is There Redlining in the Broadband Internet Access Market'

The newest dimension of the Digital Divide is access to broadband (high-speed) Internet service. Using a comprehensive U.S. data set covering all forms of technology (chiefly DSL and cable modem), I look for evidence of redlining, where broadband carriers avoid areas with high concentrations of poor and minority households. There is little evidence of redlining based on income or on black or Hispanic concentration. There is mixed evidence concerning redlining based on Native American or Asian concentration. Other findings: market size, education, Spanish language use, commuting distance, and Bell presence increase access probability; inner city or rural location decreases access probability.

Transferring big data across the globe

Transmitting data via the Internet is a routine and common task for users today. The amount of data being transmitted by the average user has dramatically increased over the past few years. Transferring a gigabyte of data in an entire day was normal, however users are now transmitting multiple gigabytes in a single hour. With the influx of big data and massive scientific data sets that are measured in tens of petabytes, a user has the propensity to transfer even larger amounts of data. When transferring data sets of this magnitude on public or shared networks, the performance of all workloads in the system will be impacted. This dissertation addresses the issues and challenges inherent with transferring big data over shared networks. A survey of current transfer techniques is provided and these techniques are evaluated in simulated, experimental and live environments. The main contribution of this dissertation is the development of a new, nice model for big data transfers, which is based on a store-and-forward methodology instead of an end-to-end approach. This nice model ensures that big data transfers only occur when there is idle bandwidth that can be repurposed for these large transfers. The nice model improves overall performance and significantly reduces the transmission time for big data transfers. The model allows for efficient transfers regardless of time zone differences or variations in bandwidth between sender and receiver. Nice is the first model that addresses the challenges of transferring big data across the globe