Neil Jennings Keon

Optimal pricing for multiple services in telecommunications networks offering quality-of-service guarantees

We consider pricing for multiple services offered over a single telecommunications network. Each service has quality-of-service (QoS) requirements that are guaranteed to users. Service classes may be defined by the type of service, such as voice, video, or data, as well as the origin and destination of the connection provided to the user. We formulate the optimal pricing problem as a nonlinear integer expected revenue optimization problem. We simultaneously solve for prices and the resource allocations necessary to provide connections with guaranteed QoS. We derive optimality conditions and a solution method for this class of problems, and apply to a realistic model of a multiservice communications network.

Traffic Estimation and Capacity Assignment in Multimedia Distribution Networks with Guaranteed Quality of Service

This paper considers the provisioning of transmission line bandwidth on a private network with given traffic routing for the purpose of distribution of video-on-demand service with guaranteed end-to-end quality of service. We present an architecture for video-on-demand service delivery and model the assignment of bandwidth in the distribution network as a constrained, nonlinear optimization problem. To solve this optimization problem, we develop three new auction algorithm-based solution procedures. The optimization problem assumes that there is a functional relationship between the maximum acceptable end-to-end delay and the bandwidth requirement for the links in the distribution network. Absent reliable video traffic data models for MPEG-2 format, we sample a large number of DVD-recorded movies to form a basis for randomly generated aggregate traffic streams. The aggregate traffic streams are used in a simulation experiment to measure the maximum transmission buffer occupancy for each given traffic stream for different transmission rates. Based on this simulation experiment, we derive an empirical transmission line provisioning function that guarantees delivery of all video frames without frame loss within a maximum frame delay tolerance. To illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed solution procedure for the bandwidth assignment problem, we solve to near optimality 570 small problem instances under three demand structures and 100 large problem instances with uniformly distributed demand.

Increasing wireless access capacity with revenue managed service pricing

The demand for communications services tends to vary from hour to hour, as observed in voice and wireless communications. Therefore, network capacity must be designed and built for peak period demand. This is inefficient when there are prolonged off-peak periods. Recently, a rich literature is developing on novel pricing schemes to regulate demand. In broad terms, there is interest in real-time pricing, where fixed capacity is better managed by creating incentives, through prices, to increase off-peak use and reduce peak use. Such schemes should be considered at a time scale beyond the real-time consumption decision, to assess effects on capacity planning. Understanding the effects on network capacity utilisation of such schemes (beyond the real-time setting) is important so that peak to off-peak shifts in use are not thought of simply as relieving real-time congestion, but rather increasing the overall capacity of a network, in terms of number of subscribers served.

Efficient Bandwidth in Multimedia Distribution Networks with Guaranteed Quality of Service

In spite of predictions to the contrary, video on demand service has yet to be-come a significant channel for distribution of audiovisual entertainment to consumers’ homes. The main reason for the delay in development in this market can be attributed to a lack of cost-efficient distribution channels for this type of transmissions. In this work, we examine the quality of service requirements for delivery of video on demand services and develop a new measure of bandwidth requirements for this type of network transmissions. A limited simulation experiment is performed with which we derive the overlay bandwidth requirements for a single movie stream viewed simultaneously by multiple consumers with randomly distributed starting times. We conclude that video on demand service can be offered at reasonable quality of service with relatively modest overlay network transmission capacity requirements.