Abstract

The performance of Mobile Broadband (MBB) services of Fourth Generation (4G) and Third Generation (3G) mobile networks over urban morphology is studied in Malaysia based on experimental measurements of drive test data. The aim of this study is to provide a roadmap for service providers to establish a realistic plan for future Fifth Generation (5G) networks. This work is a continuation of our previous work for the scope of rural areas in Malaysia. The MBB measurement data have been gathered through drive tests conducted in the urban areas of four states throughout Malaysia (namely, Klang Valley/Selangor, Johor, Sarawak and Sabah) to characterise and analyse MBB performances. The gathered data are from the cities, highways and federal roads of the chosen states, and encompasses three main Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). Data has been collected in a time span of 2 months, from January to February, using the Samsung Galaxy S6 smartphone handsets. Four MBB Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are considered in this study (coverage, latency, satisfaction and speed) for two MBB services (web browsing and video streaming). The measurement data for characterising the performance of each MBB service has been collected using a dedicated smartphone handset. YouTube videos with 720p and 1080p resolutions have been sequentially streamed to assess the performance of MBB video-streaming services. Three distinct websites (Google, Instagram and mStar) have been accessed to evaluate the performance of MBB web-browsing services. The experimental methodology of this study integrates several diversified elements including four different urban states, four distinct KPIs, three main MNOs, two MBB services and two radio networks (4G and 3G), which are both accessible by the smartphones when available to mimic real-world scenarios. The results of this study reveal that the performance of 4G radio networks is generally superior to that of 3G. For instance, 4G networks achieved a vMOS score of more than 3 for both MBB video-streaming and web-browsing services, while 3G networks scored less than 3 across all four study areas. The analysed experimental results confirmed that compared to 3G networks, 4G technology presents an enhancement factor of up to 1.6 and 4.2 in download speed when streaming a video and browsing a web page, respectively. The study outcomes can contribute to the efficient planning of non-standalone (NSA) 5G networks in Malaysia where 5G networks will be aided by existing 4G infrastructures. Analysing the 4G coverage performance is the first step towards deciding the deployment rate of NSA 5G in Malaysia.

Highlights

  • IntroductionThis report stated that the monthly global Mobile Broadband (MBB) traffic touched the figure of 11.5 Exabyte at the end of 2017, which is a growth rate of 71% with respect to the 6.7 Exabyte recorded at the end of 2016

  • The Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Global Mobile Data Traffic Forecast Update released in February 2019 had reported informative figures that reflect the dynamic effect of networking applications on global networks [3]

  • The methodology used in this paper is the same as that used in our previous papers [26], [54], but with one substantial difference: the scope of this study only focuses on the urban areas throughout Malaysia, while the previous study had focused on rural areas

Read more

Summary

Introduction

This report stated that the monthly global MBB traffic touched the figure of 11.5 Exabyte at the end of 2017, which is a growth rate of 71% with respect to the 6.7 Exabyte recorded at the end of 2016. Regarding MBB forecasting, informative projection figures for years 2017 to 2022 have been presented by the VNI report. The report further stated that mobile data traffic and number of mobile devices will continue to increase tremendously in coming years. Measuring the gap between forecasted mobile data traffic and performance with the actual MBB data traffic and performance is highly necessary. This will help service providers recognise performance shortage so as to provide remedial solutions to rectify potential degradation and offer continuous customer satisfaction

Objectives
Methods
Findings
Conclusion

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.