Evaluation of an information service for enhanced multiaccess media delivery

Multimedia delivery in mobile multiaccess network environments is gaining traction as a key area within the future Internet research domain. When network heterogeneity is coupled with the proliferation of multiaccess capabilities of mobile handheld devices, one can expect new avenues for the development of novel services and applications. In particular, novel mechanisms for audio/video delivery over multiaccess networks may prove to be a major disruptive technology. In this paper we present and evaluate a distributed information service, which can be used to enhance media delivery over multiaccess networks. After describing the information service, which is built upon the mobility triggering framework (TRG) and the distributed control and management framework (DCMF), we introduce our testbed which includes 3G/HSPA, WLAN and WiMAX network accesses. We present results that demonstrate the value of the proposed information service in enhancing video delivery in practice by minimizing service disruption in an involved scenario. Finally, we conclude the paper outlining future work items.