The explosive growth of content-on-the-move, such as video streaming to mobile devices, has propelled research on multimedia broadcast and multicast schemes. Multirate transmission strategies have been proposed as a means of delivering layered services to users experiencing different downlink channel conditions. In this paper, we consider point-to-multipoint layered service delivery across a generic cellular system and improve it by applying different random linear network coding approaches. We derive packet error probability expressions and use them as performance metrics in the formulation of resource-allocation frameworks. The aim of these frameworks is both the optimization of the transmission scheme and the minimization of the number of broadcast packets on each downlink channel, while offering service guarantees to a predetermined fraction of users. As a case of study, our proposed frameworks are then adapted to the LTE-A standard and the eMBMS technology. We focus on the delivery of a video service based on the H.264 SVC standard and demonstrate the advantages of layered network coding over multirate transmission. Furthermore, we establish that the choice of both the network coding technique and the resource-allocation method play a critical role on the network footprint, as well as the quality of each received video layer.
Recent trends witness the shift of the 3GPP Long Term Evolution - Advanced (LTE-A) radio access network (RAN) architecture from a traditional macro-cellular layout towards smaller base stations moving closer to end users. The evolved LTE-A RAN offers rich environment for multi-point and multi-hop cooperation and coordination resulting in increased capacity and more predictable channel conditions between heterogeneous base stations and end users. While these opportunities are recently well investigated at the physical layer through various cooperative multi-point (CoMP) schemes, upper layer protocols preserve the design proposed for macro-cellular single-hop data delivery. In this paper, we address this issue by proposing and investigating in detail a cooperative RAN-wide MAC layer protocol based on random network coding (RNC) that is designed specifically for reliable and flexible data delivery over the evolved LTE-A RAN. The proposed RNC-based MAC protocol (MAC-RNC) is evaluated and compared with the existing HARQ-based (MAC-HARQ) protocol in various LTE-A RAN layouts using a customized packet-based link-level simulator based on Finite-State Markov Chain (FSMC) channel models. Our results show that the MAC-RNC protocol introduces simplicity and flexibility required for future LTE-A RANs, while preserving or improving the performance of the MAC-HARQ protocol in traditional single-point single-hop macro-cellular scenarios. Video service delivery over 3GPP Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) networks is gaining momentum with the adoption of the evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS). In this paper, we address the challenge of optimizing the radio resource allocation process so that heterogeneous groups of users, according to their propagation conditions, can receive layered video streams at predefined and progressively decreasing service levels matched to respective user groups. A key aspect of the proposed system model is that video streams are delivered as eMBMS flows that utilize the random linear network coding (NC) principle. Furthermore, the transmission rate and NC scheme of each eMBMS flow are jointly optimized. The simulation results show that the proposed strategy can exploit user heterogeneity to optimize the allocated radio resources while achieving desired service levels for different user groups. Network coding is a field of information and coding theory and is a method of attaining maximum information flow in a network. This book is an ideal introduction for the communications and network engineer, working in research and development, who needs an intuitive introduction to network coding and to the increased performance and reliability it offers in many applications. This book is an ideal introduction for the research and development communications and network engineer who needs an intuitive introduction to the theory and wishes to understand the increased performance and reliability it offers over a number of applications. This title provides a clear and intuitive introduction to network coding, avoiding difficult mathematics, which does not require a background in information theory. It lays emphasis on how network coding techniques can be implemented, using a wide range of applications in communications and network engineering. It provides a detailed coverage on content distribution networks, peer-to-peer networks, overlay networks, streaming and multimedia applications, storage networks, network security and military networks, reliable communication, wireless networks, delay-tolerant and disruption-tolerant networks, cellular and ad hoc networks (including LTE and WiMAX), and connections with data compression and compressed sensing. It is edited and contributed by the world's leading experts.