Description:

Abstract — This paper discusses an approach to assess Video Streaming (VS) performance over live UMTS networks. The suggested methodology can be used to evaluate the service performance of Release 99 (Rel’99) or HSDPA network implementations. In this paper, measurement and analysis results of VS performance in a deployed Rel’99 UMTS network are presented. The measurements were carried out through field tests in an unloaded network cluster. RTP statistics and video quality metrics are shown for single-user VS tests in both stationary and mobile environments. The results indicate that RTP performance metrics are a good means to correlate RF conditions and protocol observations with terminal and network related behaviors, whereas the suggested set of video quality metrics can be used to evaluate the corresponding user perception.