In this paper, we present a new streaming proxy based charging architecture for QoS differentiated charging in 3G. We give a short overview of charging concepts in next generation mobile networks and we describe the most important network attributes on which the quality depends. Our goal is to point out the importance of bursty packet loss which determines the quality of the multimedia streaming in contrast with the average loss rate. We propose several methods for QoS differentiated charging which are in compliance with the recommendations of 3GPP. We describe three models which can predict the QoS of a stream. The algorithms are evaluated on a real GPRS streaming flow.

SUMMARYThe evolution of mobile telecommunication networks and access bandwidth has enabled operators to deliver IPTV services for mobile customers; however, the existing mobile charging solutions are not effectively addressing the billing requirements of multimedia streams. This paper develops a quality‐based charging solution for 3GPP wireless networks with the aim of providing a fair pricing solution for multimedia services. An appropriate business model is selected and a streaming proxy‐based charging architecture is developed based on the quality of the multimedia service. The proposed algorithms are theoretically evaluated by the derivation of the formulas of the distribution and the expected value of the price discount. A testbed is built and the findings are evaluated and compared with traditional charging functions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The optimal allocation of the retransmission bandwidth is essential for IPTV service providers to ensure maximal service quality. This paper highlights the relevance of the wireless transport in today’s IPTV solution and discusses how this new media affects the existing broadcast technologies. A new Markovian channel model is developed to address the optimization issues of the retransmission throughput, and a new method is presented which is evaluated by empirical measurements followed by mathematical analysis.