A system for peer-to-peer video streaming in resource constrained mobile environments

Abstract

Peer-to-Peer based near-live video streaming is becoming more and more popular with users of fixed-line broadband network access, but it is mostly unavailable to mobile users, as cellular networks, such as GPRS/UMTS, cannot meet the bitrate requirements, while other wireless technologies, such as WLAN, may be fast enough but cover only very limited areas. However, there is a small but important set of scenarios, where several mobile users in close physical proximity are interested in retrieving the same content. We propose a P2P-TV system that enables them to retrieve video chunks in a cooperative way. The coordinated and efficient usage of all wireless resources available to a group of mobile hosts is the key to enable P2P-TV in mobile environments. This paper introduces our general concept. Simulation based studies are presented to assess different resource allocation strategies and to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach for delivering near-live TV in resource constrained mobile environments.