Context-Aware Video Streaming technology enables sixfold improvement in quality for car and public transport passengers without using up network capacity
Paris, June 17, 2014
Bell Labs, the research arm of Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU), and net mobile AG (net-m), a leading provider of mobile value-added services and payment solutions, have reduced the probability of poor video streaming quality on the move with a new technology that can deliver a six-fold improvement over today’s streaming levels – without consuming any extra network capacity.
The new technology – Context-Aware Video Streaming – is based on Bell Labs’ Context-Aware Radio Access (CARA) solution. This makes smart use of location-based information, including road and network coverage maps and radio performance data, to deliver algorithms that predict upcoming network performance. Based on this prediction, more seconds of the video are downloaded to the consumer’s device in areas of good coverage before the vehicle enters a poor coverage area. This results in a dramatic reduction in video stalling and the quality of experience is greatly improved for the consumer.
The gains in quality were measured during test drives across Düsseldorf in Germany over a conventional mobile network. The routes consisted of highways, tunnels and other typical areas for consumers travelling through the city in a car or public transport vehicle. A video shows the difference in quality of video streaming on-the-road between two devices, one with context-aware technology and one without.
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