Proposed thesis project:
Wireless Multimedia Traffic Modeling in Theory and Practice
    1    Problem

      Packet cellular networks are being built using many different technologies. One of the main commercial drivers for the emerging 3G architectures (WCDMA, cdma2000, GPRS/EDGE) is that they should support multimedia applications over the air. In order to do this, we need accurate traffic models describing the characteristics of VoIP and video flows, both in conversational and streaming modes. Available data unfortunately tends to be derived from "normal" IP traffic (ftp, http, X, smtp, pop3, ….) and is therefore not very useful. 
       
       
       

    2    Mission
     

    3    Tentative plan

The following list of steps should be taken as a rough indication of project scope. A more accurate assessment of project scope will be done at step 2.
  1. Literature search for existing MM traffic models (including wireless, if possible). Concentration on video codecs likely in the mobile scenario (at least H.261and H.263; possibly H.262 as high end example; others found during literature search can also be of interest)
      2. Detailed planning of project

      3. Creation of tentative user and network host model

      4. Simulations/calculations; refinement of model. Of particular interest is the behavior of codecs and transfer protocols when bit error rates and packet drop rates are increased to typical wireless values.

      5. Implementation of MM demo (likely example: CUSeeMe, or some other steraming video example). Target system:

        - primary alternative: Penny 2 prototype
        - secondary alternative (if practical problems with primary alternative become overwhelming): ordinary laptop.
      Communication device: Breezecom wireless LAN.
      6. Report, including a "cookbook" for dimensioning packet switched core networks supporting multimedia applications.
Items 3-5 will probably overlap in time.