@article {3109, title = {Cost Optimization of MBSFN and PTM Transmissions for Reliable Multicasting in LTE Networks}, journal = {Wireless Networks, Springer Verlang}, year = {2012}, pages = {277-293}, abstract = {Long Term Evolution (LTE) systems have been specified and designed to accommodate small, high performance, power-efficient, end-user devices. The evolved Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (e-MBMS) feature is introduced by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as a complement to the existing MBMS service in order to accommodate multicast groups that are interested in receiving the same data. MBMS service is provided by MBMS over a Single Frequency Network (MBSFN) and/or Point-To-Multipoint (PTM) transmission methods. One of the challenges of MBMS is the complete error recovery of the transmitted files, a matter of great importance since the distribution of binary data must result in 100\% error-free download. To fulfill this tight requirement, Forward Error Correction (FEC) mechanism has been proposed by 3GPP. In this work, we investigate the reliable multicasting by introducing a transmission method that combines the advantages of MBSFN and PTM transmission methods. We compare several FEC-based file recovery methods and evaluate them against various network parameters in a realistic simulation environment. The comparison is based on a cost-oriented analysis of MBMS service that takes into account the transmission cost over all the interfaces and nodes of the LTE architecture. The simulation results are performed with the aid of a new simulation tool and show that the performance of the file repair schemes depend on the network configuration. KEYWORDS: multimedia multicasting; cellular networks; forward error correction; reliability; single frequency network; optimization; point to multipoint;}, keywords = {Cost analysis, LTE, MBSFN}, author = {Christos Bouras and Antonios Alexiou and Andreas Papazois and Vasileios Kokkinos and Konstantinos Asimakis and Georgia Tseliou} } @conference {2971, title = {Communication Cost Analysis of MBSFN in LTE}, booktitle = {The 21st IEEE Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (PIMRC 2010), Istanbul, Turkey}, year = {2010}, month = {September 26 - 30}, pages = { 1366-1371}, abstract = {Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the latest step towards the 4th generation (4G) of radio technologies designed to increase the capacity and speed of mobile communications. To support Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Services (MBMS), LTE offers the possibility to transmit Multimedia Broadcast multicast service over a Single Frequency Network (MBSFN), where a time-synchronized common waveform is transmitted from multiple cells for a given duration. In this paper we analytically present the MBSFN delivery method and evaluate its performance. The critical parameters of primary interest for the evaluation of the scheme are the packet delivery cost and its scalability. To this direction, a telecommunication cost analysis of the MBMS service is presented based on the transmission cost over the air interface, as well as the costs of all interfaces and nodes of the MBSFN architecture. Since the performance of the MBSFN scheme mainly depends on the configuration of the LTE network that is under investigation, we consider different network topologies, MBSFN deployments and user distributions.}, keywords = {Cost analysis, LTE, MBSFN}, author = {Christos Bouras and Antonios Alexiou and Vasileios Kokkinos and George Tsichritzis} } @article {3084, title = {Cost Analysis and Efficient Radio Bearer Selection for Multicasting over UMTS}, journal = {Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, Wiley InterScience}, year = {2009}, pages = { 1159 - 1172}, abstract = {Along with the widespread deployment of the Third Generation (3G) cellular networks, the fast-improving capabilities of the mobile devices, content, and service providers are increasingly interested in supporting multicast communications over wireless networks and in particular over Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). To this direction, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently standardizing the Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) framework of UMTS. In this paper, we present an overview of the MBMS multicast mode of UMTS. We analytically present the multicast mode of the MBMS and analyze its performance in terms of packet delivery cost under various network topologies, cell types, and multicast users? distributions. Furthermore, for the evaluation of the scheme, we consider different transport channels for the transmission of the multicast data over the UMTS Terrestrial Radio-Access Network (UTRAN) interfaces. Finally, we propose a scheme for the efficient radio bearer selection that minimizes total packet delivery cost.}, keywords = {Cost analysis, MBMS, Power Control, UMTS}, author = {Christos Bouras and Antonios Alexiou and Vasileios Kokkinos and Evangelos Rekkas} } @conference {2896, title = {Cost Analysis of the MBMS Multicast Mode of UMTS}, booktitle = {The Twelfth IEEE Symposium on Computers and Communications, Aveiro, Portugal}, year = {2007}, month = {1 - 4 July}, pages = { 797 - 802}, abstract = {Along with the widespread deployment of the third generation cellular networks, the fast-improving capabilities of the mobile devices, content and service providers are increasingly interested in supporting multicast communications over wireless networks and in particular over Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). To this direction, the third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is currently standardizing the Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) framework of UMTS. In this paper, we present an overview of the MBMS multicast mode of UMTS. We analytically present the multicast mode of the MBMS and analyze its performance in terms of packet delivery cost under various network topologies, cell types and multicast users? distributions. Furthermore, for the evaluation of the scheme, we consider different transport channels for the transmission of the data over the UTRAN interfaces.}, keywords = {Cost analysis, MBMS, UMTS}, author = {Christos Bouras and Antonios Alexiou and Evangelos Rekkas} }