Distributed cached and segmented video download for video transmission in cellular networks

Wireless video accounted for more than half of the total data traffic in cellular networks in 2015, and this is expected to further increase in the upcoming years. Device-to-Device (D2D) communication, introduced by the LTE-Advanced (LTEA) standard, allows direct communication between devices in cellular networks. Here, we introduce the DIStributed, Cached, and Segmented video download (DISCS) algorithm for improving the throughput of video transmission in cellular networks based on D2D communications. The algorithm splits video files into pieces, which are distributed over selected user equipment (UEs) in the cellular network, to cache and forward the pieces using D2D communication. We used the Discrete EVent System Specification (DEVS) formalism to build an LTEA network model and used the model to study the performance of DISCS. Simulation results show that DISCS achieves significant performance improvements in terms of the cell's aggregate data rate as well as the average data rate per user.