NSN White paper

Netflix over a QoS enabled LTE network

February 2013

How QoS differentiation

enhances the OTT video
streaming experience

Netflix over a QoS enabled

LTE network

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved.

 CONTENTS

Executive summary 3
Why over-the-top video streaming matters to
3
mobile networks
What video users expect from mobile networks 4
How QoS can be used to enhance the OTT video
5
experience on LTE
The impact of QoS on a Netflix session during
6
congestion
Conclusion 11
Abbreviations 12

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

Executive Summary
Cellular networks are more and more impacted by the growing popularity of Over the Top (OTT)
video streaming services. The introduction of smartphones and tablets have opened the use of
video streaming services which was limited to personal computers and televisions tied to wireline
networks in the past.

Consumers expect a high quality experience when watching OTT video streams, whether it be
short form YouTube videos or long form movies or television programs from providers such as
Netflix. The transport of video streaming in addition to all the other types of traffic such as VoIP,
email, web browsing, instant messaging and social media can benefit if Quality of Service (QoS)
differentiation is used – in particular during peak usage times. QoS differentiation brings clear
improvements to the customer experience.

Nokia Siemens Networks has tested how QoS mechanisms can be used to improve video
streaming quality in LTE networks during congestion. The findings from the tests using Netflix
point to gains for both maintaining video quality and video streaming performance where re-
buffering/stalling of the stream is minimized as compared to best effort transport which creates a
sub-standard user experience over a congested LTE network.

QoS mechanisms are an effective tool for operators to provide differentiated delivery of services
transporting large payload content. With QoS the existing business models for content delivery
can be changed. New content delivery business models can be created which involve the
operator as part of the content delivery valuation.

Why over-the-top video streaming matters to

mobile networks
OTT video streaming is delivered to the end user over a Internet Service Provider (ISP) or
wireless operator by a 3rd party without the operator controlling the service other than to provide
transport of the content. The rapidly growing OTT video market is generally considered to include
the streaming of content such as movies, television programs, and music videos by content
providers such as Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, iTunes, YouTube and others. These providers
are globally offering services to both fixed and wireless mobile customers.

Netflix, one of the early OTT video service pioneers, has grown to 32 million video streaming
users at the end of 2012. Many OTT video service providers are experiencing additional growth
driven by smartphone and tablet users consuming video services over wireless networks. In fact,
Network World reported that video accounted for half of total mobile data traffic in 2012
(www.networkworld.com), which increased from 42% in 2011 according to Billing and OSS world
(http://www.billingworld.com). By 2017, mobile video will represent 66% of all mobile data traffic
according to Cisco. The video share on mobile data traffic will be even higher than in fixed
networks (Cisco Virtual Networking Index 2013).

Coincident with the growth in OTT video is a change in its composition. In the past, the bulk of
video traffic was composed of short-form, YouTube-ish clips and many may have tolerated low

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

resolution video clips that frequently froze, especially when the video was for free. However when
customers pay for entire movies or episodes and display them on HD screens, they become very
sensitive to anything other than crystal-clear video and audio fidelity. With video services taking
an increasing share of the users’ screen time on mobile devices, the importance of high quality is
evident.

Operators have the opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competition and change the
game in content delivery by enhancing the customer experience of video services. On the other
hand scarce network capacity has to be utilized in an economic way.

12.000.000

10.000.000 CAGR
2012-2017
8.000.000
M2M 89%
6.000.000 File Sharing 34%
Data 55%
4.000.000 Video 75%

2.000.000

0
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

Figure 1: Global mobile data traffic forecast

Source: Cisco Virtual Networking Index 2013

What video users expect from mobile networks

Streaming of video programs such as movies and television over cellular networks in addition to
other types of applications like web browsing, social media, email and voice adds a significant
load due to the associated size of the transported payload coupled with the need for good
throughput speeds (figure 2). Moreover, users expect a high level of service delivery for video
without re-buffering, video quality degradation, or slow start times which creates the need for QoS
mechanisms to be employed to maintain a high quality of experience (QoE).

Non-HD Video Throughput (Mbps) MB/Hour

Small Screen Video 0.2 90

(feature phone)
Medium Screen Video 1.0 450
(smartphone)
Large Screen Video 2.0 900
(tablet)

Figure 2: Non-HD Video average requirements

Source: 4G Americas / Rysavy Research Mobile Broadband Explosion 2012 Whitepaper

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

The ability of a cellular network to provide users with a good quality of experience for video varies
based on signal strength, interference, and to a large extent the bandwidth available during peak
demand periods for the network. To manage congestion, cellular networks need to employ more
sophisticated traffic management features to maintain quality for demanding applications like
video while still being able to serve other applications which users need.

How QoS can be used to enhance the OTT video

experience on LTE
3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project) designed QoS mechanisms (TS 23.203 Policy and
Charging Control Architecture) to allow LTE operators to manage the quality of experience for
users based on the application types used on the network.

The nine standardized QoS class identifiers (QCI) address prioritized handling and quality
parameters for the many different types of traffic the network has to transport. 3GPP’s QCI
concept is illustrated in figure 3.

QCI Resource Priority Packet Delay Packet Example Services

Type Budget Error Loss
Rate
1 2 100 ms 10-2 Conversational Voice

2 4 150 ms 10-3 Conversational Video (Live Streaming)

GBR
3 3 50 ms 10-3 Real Time Gaming
Non-Conversational Video (Buffered
4 5 300 ms 10-6
Streaming)
5 1 100 ms 10-6 IMS Signalling
Video (Buffered Streaming)
6 300 ms 10-6 TCP-based (e.g., www, e-mail, chat, ftp,
6
p2p file sharing, progressive video, etc.)
NON-GBR Voice, Video (Live Streaming)
7 7 100 ms 10-3
Interactive Gaming
8 8 Video (Buffered Streaming)
300 ms 10-6 TCP-based (e.g., www, e-mail, chat, ftp,
9 9 p2p file sharing, progressive video, etc.)

Figure 3: 3GPP TS 23.203 standardized QoS Class Identifiers (QCI) characteristics

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

QoS Class Identifier (QCI) values define the level of service required by the application.

There are two broad resource type levels: Guaranteed (GBR) and non-Guaranteed (Non-GBR) to
support different service types. Services using GBR’s get pre-allocated capacity in the network
while non-GBR services are given access as needed.

Netflix as an OTT video streaming service would normally be handled just like all other internet
applications over the network with a QCI9 quality treatment which is referred widely as best effort
(BE) similarly to other non-operator services such as OTT VoIP. Cellular networks treat best
effort applications with the same priority and will schedule the associated transmissions equally.
In normal conditions when there is no congestion, best effort treatment works without noticeable
impact on performance.

When congestion in cells develops during peak usage times or when there are multiple
subscribers using bandwidth intense, video streaming applications then best effort is not able to
schedule the transmission of data often enough or long enough. The lack of scheduling time from
network resources with limited availability results in users experiencing problems with their video
stream such as slow start, re-buffering / stalling and degraded video quality.

3GPP does define other QCI levels which could be applied to OTT streaming services: QCI 6 for
video with buffered streams for non-GBR services. Video streaming applications are best
supported by a non-GBR resource type due to intermittent usage of network resources versus
conversational video which is always sending data.

The impact of QoS on a Netflix session during

congestion
To analyze the potential impact of QoS on Netflix sessions in different conditions, a battery of
tests was executed in the LTE lab network of Nokia Siemens Networks with the Netflix application
running on an Android based Smartphone. The test setup is described in Figure 4. Note that real-
world results may be different from lab environment results.

Figure 4: Test setup

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The main test scenario was to use the Netflix application on a smartphone and observe the video
performance for any disruptions like re-buffering or for variations in displayed video quality, while
the network was being utilized in the background by other users who were loaded incrementally
from a UE (User Equipment) simulator as the test progressed.

While the network experienced congestion generated from the UE simulator, Netflix video quality
performance and the data rate required to maintain the stream was noted. The Netflix video
quality was measured based on the following factors to determine the user experience:

• High – the observed quality of the video being played is excellent and the end user has a very
good service experience (no re-buffering)

• Medium – the observed quality of the video being played is slightly degraded but the end user
service experience is acceptable and end user would continue watching the video (some re-
buffering)

• Low – the observed quality of the video is not acceptable and the user would willingly stop the
video (significant re-buffering)

The test scenario consisted of different experiments described in Figure 5. The same video was
used in all the test cases. Note that most OTT video streaming applications do not continuously
transmit data; therefore using a GBR bearer would be wasteful of network resources. As a result,
non-GBRs are better suited to the usage model.

Test Scenario Test Description

a. Netflix application as a best effort user / no congestion

Base line
b. Netflix application as a best effort user / with congestion

Netflix application as a high priority user / with congestion

High Priority
Netflix application as a medium priority user / with congestion
Medium Priority

Figure 5: Description of tests to verify the impact of QoS on Netflix during congestion

Baselining of Netflix performance in a best effort network

A baseline test was conducted to understand the ideal behavior of the Netflix application in a
congestion free environment using a default bearer with QCI 9 QoS treatment (see Figure 3).
Subsequent tests introduced congestion and different priority levels.

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

Netflix session as a best effort user, no network congestion

Figure 6: Netflix throughput, best effort user, no congestion in the network

From Figure 6 it can be observed that

• the Netflix application buffer is filled completely by the initial video stream data chunk which
contained 4 MB of data transmitted over a period of 5 seconds

• the initial video stream data chunk contained enough data for the Netflix application to play 40
seconds of video before the application requested for more data to be sent

• the Netflix application buffer was re-filled subsequently by video stream data chunks containing
approximately 1 MB of data transmitted every 15 – 20 seconds

• the video quality is high and the stream did not experience re-buffering.

Netflix session as a best effort user with network congestion

A second baseline test was conducted to understand the behavior of the Netflix application in a
congested environment using a default bearer with QCI 9 QoS treatment (see Figure 3).

High Quality
Medium Quality
Low Quality
Data Re-Transmissions
Throughput

Time

Figure 7: Netflix throughput, best effort user with congestion in the network

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

From Figure 7 it can be observed that

• the Netflix application buffer is never filled to a point that the application stops requesting data
due to lower throughput over the entire session starving the buffer. There were no gaps in
transmission as experienced in the previous test

• Netflix user throughput (in red) decreased as network congestion increased

• there was a significant amount and frequency of data re-transmissions (green) due to packet
loss

• as congestion reached its maximum level, multiple video stalling / re-buffering events occurred
with significant duration

• the Netflix video quality significantly decreased from the initial start as network congestion was
increasing.

Netflix session as a high priority user with network congestion

High Quality
Buffer Full
Medium Quality
Buffer Full Low Quality

Data Re-Transmissions
Throughput

Time

Figure 8: Netflix throughput, high priority user with congestion in the network

Figure 8 shows that

• the Netflix application buffer filled twice to a point where the application stops (similar to gaps in
transmission as experienced in the first scenario) requesting data due to the higher available
throughput during the initial third of the session as congestion developed

• there was a significant reduction in the amount and frequency of data re-transmissions (green)
due to packet loss

• the Netflix application with high priority was able to sustain good video quality at higher
congestion levels compared to the best effort user case with congestion. Higher priority
increased the overall throughput for the user resulting in the Netflix application maintaining
better video quality

•as congestion increased to very high levels, compared to the best effort case, it was observed
that video quality did become extremely patchy, but the video stream did not suffer from stalling
/ re-buffering which had happened in the best effort congestion case.

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

Netflix Session as medium priority user with network congestion

The fourth and final test we conducted to understand the behavior of the Netflix application in a
congested environment using a default bearer with QCI 6 (see Figure 3), medium priority QoS
treatment. Does the use of QCI 6 and medium priority improve the user experience in congestion
situations compared to best effort? Can the application still benefit from some level of priority
where minimal extra resources are utilized to assist the session?

High Quality
Medium Quality

Data Re-Transmissions
Low Quality
Throughput

Buffer Full
Buffer Full Buffer Full

Time

Figure 9: Netflix throughput, medium priority user with congestion in the network

Figure 9 contains the measurement. It can be seen that

• the Netflix application buffer filled three times to a point where the application stopped (similar to
gaps in transmission as experienced in the very first scenario) requesting data due to the higher
available throughput during the initial start of the session and subsequently as congestion was
developing. The video codec shifted down to a lower quality, therefore a smaller buffer size was
needed

• the throughput of the Netflix application was lower than in the high priority user case but still
better than in the best effort case in the congested network

• even during congestion the data download is steady. Retransmission frequency and amount
were reduced compared to the best effort case in congestion

• video quality got extremely patchy at higher congestion situations but stalling of video was
minimal compared to the best effort congestion case

• medium priority does benefit the user experience and pushes the point where low quality occurs
to higher levels of congestion in comparison to the best effort congestion case.

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

Conclusion
OTT video streaming usage is increasing and is projected to account for vast majority of data
transmitted over cellular networks. As an application, video is very demanding for the network
while user expectations for quality are equally high.

Netflix can be considered as a proxy for many OTT video streaming applications. Netflix suffers
video quality degradation and re-buffering when its data is treated like all other best effort data
during periods of congestion. Other video applications which behave like Netflix may benefit as
well from longer scheduling length and higher scheduling frequency in order to prevent the
application’s buffer from experiencing starvation and lower video quality.

Real world results will vary from controlled lab environments; however the measured effects
should be very similar when QoS mechanisms are invoked. Nokia Siemens Networks LTE lab
tests point out that the introduction of even medium priority can positively impact the Quality of
Experience for the end user during congestion by reducing video quality degradation and re-
buffering occurrences. High priority produces the best user experience with better overall video
quality in congestion conditions as compared to medium priority but does require the assignment
of more network resources to the video streaming session. In congested networks video
streaming applications such as Netflix suffer from reduced video quality and re-buffering even
with adaptive codec changes and application buffering.

Case End user experience

1. Netflix streaming as a best • HD-like video
effort user / no network
congestion
2. Netflix streaming as a best • Video quality degraded gradually
effort user / DL throughput • Numerous instances of varying episodes of stalling / re-buffering
congestion

3. Netflix streaming as a high • Video maintained high quality at lower congestion levels
priority user / DL throughput • Medium quality at higher congestions levels compared to no priority case
congestion • Video became extremely patchy but no stalling observed

4. Netflix streaming as a medium
priority user / DL throughput
congestion
• Video degraded gradually at a similar congestion level as in high priority
case
• The throughput experienced by the application was lower and video
quality degraded earlier than the high priority case
• Better quality than in no priority case but lower than in high priority case

Figure 10: Test results overview

In a nutshell, our test measurements show that the application of QoS differentiation brings
significant improvements in customer experience for video streaming. QoS differentiation is a
strategic tool for operators which can be used to develop new business models in content
delivery. It is an opportunity for operators to provide a value add that can be monetized.

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com

Abbreviations
3GPP Third Generation Partnership Project

BE Best Effort

eNB Evolved NodeB

GBR Bearer with reserved Bitrate Resources

ISP Internet Service Provider

OTT Over-the-Top

LTE Long Term Evolution

Non-GBR Bearer without reserved Bitrate Resources

QCI Quality Class Indicator

QoE Quality of Experience

QoS Quality of Service

UE User Equipment

©2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved. nsn.com