7 research outputs found
Route selection impacts on achieving enhanced IMS QoS
ArticleThe different planes in the IMS interact via specific
reference points to deliver multimedia services to the user. QoS
provisioning for IMS communications has been standardized for
access networks only, with the assumption of an over provisioned
IP core. Effective provisioning of multimedia services requires
performance guarantee along the complete path of the sessions.
End-to-end QoS in IP networks is affected by the route traversed
by the user traffic. Moreover QoS guarantees in one ISP domain
are not effective for transit traffic exiting the domain. QoS
extensions to exterior gateway routing protocols have been
proposed to transfer route QoS information beyond one
autonomous system (domain). This paper explores options for
mapping inter-domain QoS information learnt on the media plane
into control plane session information for IMS QoS control.
Through testbed evaluations we show the effect of routing on delays
experienced in IMS communications.The different planes in the IMS interact via specific
reference points to deliver multimedia services to the user. QoS
provisioning for IMS communications has been standardized for
access networks only, with the assumption of an over provisioned
IP core. Effective provisioning of multimedia services requires
performance guarantee along the complete path of the sessions.
End-to-end QoS in IP networks is affected by the route traversed
by the user traffic. Moreover QoS guarantees in one ISP domain
are not effective for transit traffic exiting the domain. QoS
extensions to exterior gateway routing protocols have been
proposed to transfer route QoS information beyond one
autonomous system (domain). This paper explores options for
mapping inter-domain QoS information learnt on the media plane
into control plane session information for IMS QoS control.
Through testbed evaluations we show the effect of routing on delays
experienced in IMS communications
A pricing proposal for a QoS enabled UMTS network
ArticleThird generation networks e.g. the Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) provide higher data
transfer rates which enables the transport of real-time
multimedia traffic e.g. streaming video. The cost of Internet
access over mobile networks remains high yet user demand for
mobile services is increasing rapidly. In order for mobile
computing to become viable, the deployment of charging schemes
that would see the cost of communication reflect the utilization of
resources on the network is necessary. A dynamic charging
scheme is an attractive solution. When prices change, users need
to indicate their willingness to continue using the service
especially when a price increase is beyond the level they
anticipated. In this paper we propose a charging scheme that
relies on the congestion at the RNC of the UMTS to calculate
pricing coefficients, which are in turn used in determining the
charge incurred for using the network. The use of user profiles
and network agents in the management of the charging scheme is
also explored.Third generation networks e.g. the Universal
Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) provide higher data
transfer rates which enables the transport of real-time
multimedia traffic e.g. streaming video. The cost of Internet
access over mobile networks remains high yet user demand for
mobile services is increasing rapidly. In order for mobile
computing to become viable, the deployment of charging schemes
that would see the cost of communication reflect the utilization of
resources on the network is necessary. A dynamic charging
scheme is an attractive solution. When prices change, users need
to indicate their willingness to continue using the service
especially when a price increase is beyond the level they
anticipated. In this paper we propose a charging scheme that
relies on the congestion at the RNC of the UMTS to calculate
pricing coefficients, which are in turn used in determining the
charge incurred for using the network. The use of user profiles
and network agents in the management of the charging scheme is
also explored
Charging in IP multimedia networks
ArticleIMS charging can be performed at various planes of
the IMS architecture. Different charging schemes may be utilized.
The optimal charging scheme would be service dependent, but
may also be influenced by user expectations. The 3GPP has
standardized charging mechanisms, protocols and interfaces for
IMS charging control; online and offline charging have been
standardized. However, the design and development of charging
systems is operator dependent. This paper presents an IMS
charging prototype developed and implemented in C, in line with
Open IMS research. The testbed supports flow level, subsystem
level and content level charging for IPTV and VoIP. The testbed
supports online and offline charging; it has been tested with the
UCT IMS client and the Fokus Open IMS system. Testbed proof
of concept and performance results are presented.IMS charging can be performed at various planes of
the IMS architecture. Different charging schemes may be utilized.
The optimal charging scheme would be service dependent, but
may also be influenced by user expectations. The 3GPP has
standardized charging mechanisms, protocols and interfaces for
IMS charging control; online and offline charging have been
standardized. However, the design and development of charging
systems is operator dependent. This paper presents an IMS
charging prototype developed and implemented in C, in line with
Open IMS research. The testbed supports flow level, subsystem
level and content level charging for IPTV and VoIP. The testbed
supports online and offline charging; it has been tested with the
UCT IMS client and the Fokus Open IMS system. Testbed proof
of concept and performance results are presented
Optimized IP-CANs to support best charged IMS scenarios
conference paper Published in Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications, 2009 IEEE 20th International Symposium by IEEE.The pricing and charging mechanisms used in Next
Generation Network (NGN) deployments will influence the profitability
of network operators. NGNs present an opportunity for
the success of service delivery platforms designed for IP multimedia
communications, like the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).
Moreover, they present a platform for the delivery of a multitude
of applications and services to users with different expectations
and budgets. Although usage-based charging schemes are more
meaningful, some recent successful Internet-based applications
and services have attracted widespread usage due to enforcement
of flat-rate pricing. The choice of a pricing scheme often has
a one-to-one relation to the access network technology and the
quality of service guarantee. Flat-rate pricing may easily be
associated with best effort transport. This implies that some
users opt for services without QoS guarantee when favoured by
the pricing methodology. This paper explores scenarios where
services with different QoS requirements available to users with
varying pricing preferences can be provided over a set of IP
connection access networks (IP-CANs) of the IMS.We explore the
use of different pricing schemes for different IP-CANs of the IMS.
We perform testbed evaluations and present results depicting
the income patterns of networks enforcing different pricing and
charging schemes for VoIP and IPTV services. Moreover, we emphasize
the use of simplified pricing schemes on communication
networks.The pricing and charging mechanisms used in Next
Generation Network (NGN) deployments will influence the profitability
of network operators. NGNs present an opportunity for
the success of service delivery platforms designed for IP multimedia
communications, like the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).
Moreover, they present a platform for the delivery of a multitude
of applications and services to users with different expectations
and budgets. Although usage-based charging schemes are more
meaningful, some recent successful Internet-based applications
and services have attracted widespread usage due to enforcement
of flat-rate pricing. The choice of a pricing scheme often has
a one-to-one relation to the access network technology and the
quality of service guarantee. Flat-rate pricing may easily be
associated with best effort transport. This implies that some
users opt for services without QoS guarantee when favoured by
the pricing methodology. This paper explores scenarios where
services with different QoS requirements available to users with
varying pricing preferences can be provided over a set of IP
connection access networks (IP-CANs) of the IMS.We explore the
use of different pricing schemes for different IP-CANs of the IMS.
We perform testbed evaluations and present results depicting
the income patterns of networks enforcing different pricing and
charging schemes for VoIP and IPTV services. Moreover, we emphasize
the use of simplified pricing schemes on communication
networks
Dynamic pricing for 3G networks using admission control and traffic differentiation
Published in Networks, 2005. Jointly held with the 2005 IEEE 7th Malaysia International Conference on Communication., 2005 13th IEEE International Conference on (Volume:2 )In the pricing of network resources, network operators
and service providers aim at facilitating the use of the
limited network resources in a manner that would encourage
responsibility among the end-users and lead to the maximisation
of profits. The optimum tariff rates used for charging the mobile
services are affected by factors like the market forces affecting
the industry. However, the tariff rates generally increase with the
achieved QoS level. Next generation networks will offer higher
QoS, hence users need incentives to utilise the enhanced capacity.
In this paper, we propose a pricing approach that introduces
service profiles into a DiffServ-enabled network, whose prices and
QoS levels depend on the degree of congestion in the network.
The use of the UMTS connection admission control to support
the proposed pricing scheme is explored. An emulation testbed is
used to evaluate the scheme.In the pricing of network resources, network operators
and service providers aim at facilitating the use of the
limited network resources in a manner that would encourage
responsibility among the end-users and lead to the maximisation
of profits. The optimum tariff rates used for charging the mobile
services are affected by factors like the market forces affecting
the industry. However, the tariff rates generally increase with the
achieved QoS level. Next generation networks will offer higher
QoS, hence users need incentives to utilise the enhanced capacity.
In this paper, we propose a pricing approach that introduces
service profiles into a DiffServ-enabled network, whose prices and
QoS levels depend on the degree of congestion in the network.
The use of the UMTS connection admission control to support
the proposed pricing scheme is explored. An emulation testbed is
used to evaluate the scheme
Service outsourcing and billing in inter-domain IMS scenarios
ArticleResource sharing in commercial mobile networks
may present operators with options to cut costs and prevent
network churn. In resource sharing, when the network experiences
resource constraints, the operator can negotiate with
other reachable networks to outsource the provision of network
access services. The revenue earned from user payments will
be shared by the home operator and the serving operator.
Operators participating in service outsourcing are faced with
financial challenges with regard to network revenue sharing.
Moreover, an operator’s users are placed under service control
of the visited operator, a situation that may impact customer
experience. On the other hand, the visited operator allocates
network resources to visiting users, thus there is a risk of service
blockage for home users. In this paper we explore resource
sharing in inter-domain frameworks, and investigate factors that
influence revenue distribution amongst involved operators. We
develop strategies for use by operators to maximize revenue
from resource sharing. This work is done in the domain of IP
Multimedia Subsystem communications
A Mobile solution for road accident data collection
Pan African International Conference on Information Science, Computing and Telecommunications (2014)Road accidents are a major cause of injuries and death in developing countries. It is crucial to build a road accident database and data retrieval system as a fundamental resource in improving road safety. Since the accident database needs to hold reliable data, accurate methods for accident data collection must be used. This study focuses on improving accident data collection by using a Smartphone-based application. The application's aim is to improve data collection, while supporting
mobility, ubiquity and accuracy.The name of the application is CrashData; it has been developed and tested in Kenya. Using the application, data are sent to a central database for storage and can be retrieved by the same application. The type of information collected is determined by the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC), National Institute of Statistics
(NIS) and other accident data sets. Location information recording is supported and depends entirely on Smartphone inbuilt GPS module and Google places API.The application provides a web interface for office based managers, who can use Google maps to identify accident hotspots by mining location information from the database.Road accidents are a major cause of injuries and death in developing countries. It is crucial to build a road accident database and data retrieval system as a fundamental resource in improving road safety. Since the accident database needs to hold reliable data, accurate methods for accident data collection must be used. This study focuses on improving accident data collection by using a Smartphone-based application. The application's aim is to improve data collection, while supporting
mobility, ubiquity and accuracy.The name of the application is CrashData; it has been developed and tested in Kenya. Using the application, data are sent to a central database for storage and can be retrieved by the same application. The type of information collected is determined by the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC), National Institute of Statistics
(NIS) and other accident data sets. Location information recording is supported and depends entirely on Smartphone inbuilt GPS module and Google places API.The application provides a web interface for office based managers, who can use Google maps to identify accident hotspots by mining location information from the database