Meeting the needs of growing traffic

Abstract

Data traffic on cellular wireless networks has been growing steadily over the last few years. Mobile video is one of the fastest growing areas of wireless data usage. We seek to understand this important area -- the evolution and trends of consumer video usage. Making extensive use of a large dataset, we look at the changes in the mobile video landscape. We also look for ways to optimize the delivery of video traffic to make it as efficient as possible and maximize the end-user's experience on cellular networks. We look at the various optimizations techniques from the perspective of being technically as well as economically viable. We also look at mobile data traffic at large events like the Super Bowl, as this poses a significant challenge in the planning, design and deployment of wireless networks. With LTE becoming available widely, we look in-depth at the user behavior and traffic demand at this year's Super Bowl. The study can be used to guide the design of communication networks at large venues in the future.