Ubiquitous Web Access and Application Layer Optimization: Dynamic Content Negotiation over Cellular Links

Abstract

Cellular wide area networks like UMTS can be employed to provide Internet access to other smaller networks. The main inconvenient is that cellular networks have not the same bandwidth than wired networks and therefore, the cellular channel becomes a network bottle-neck. To help to mitigate this situation different optimization techniques exist, especially in Web traffic. Herein we present a system where HTTP requests transmission is optimized over the cellular channel by means of header reduction. In order to obtain a successful browsing experience, headers should be restored when reaching the Internet. Thus, we took in advantage of the need for header browser profiling to integrate in the system a device capabilities detection service. This service allows giving enriched information about user's device and browser capabilities; enhancing navigation speed and user's QoE by means of dynamic capabilities expression in order to obtain adapted responses from Web servers and adaptation proxies alike.