Using Radio Network Feedback to Improve TCP Performance over Cellular Networks

Abstract

A new control structure is proposed to improve user experience of wireless Internet. Information on radio bandwidth and queue length available in the radio network controller (RNC), close to the base station, is used in a proxy that resides between the Internet and the cellular system. The control algorithm in the proxy sets the window size according to event-triggered information on radio bandwidth changes and time-triggered information on the queue length of the RNC. A stability analysis of the hybrid control system is performed. In a number of realistic use cases evaluated in ns-2, the new control structure is compared to a nominal one that employs end-to-end TCP Reno. It is shown that the proposed solution reduces the time to serve users, increases the radio link utilization, and decreases the required buffer size in the RNC.