An Analytical Approach for Voice Capacity Estimation Over WiFi Network Using ITU-T E-Model

• Published in: IEEE transactions on multimedia 2014-02, Vol.16 (2), p.360-372
• Main Authors: Rahman Siddique, Md Atiur, Kamruzzaman, Joarder, Hossain, Md Jahangir
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Access methods and protocols, osi model; Analytical models; Applied sciences; Call capacity; Computer science; control theory; systems; Computer systems and distributed systems. User interface; conversational speech quality; Delays; Diffraction, scattering, reflection; E-model; Estimation; Exact sciences and technology; IEEE 802.11 Standards; Impact analysis; Internet Protocol; Internet telephony; Load modeling; Local area networks; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Networks; Radiocommunications; Radiowave propagation; Software; Spread spectrum communication; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teleprocessing networks. Isdn; Teletraffic; Voice; voice over IP; VoIP (protocol); Wireless LAN; Wireless networks
• ISSN: 1520-9210; 1941-0077
• DOI: 10.1109/TMM.2013.2291212

To ensure customer satisfaction and greater market acceptance, voice over Wi-Fi networks must ensure voice quality under various network parameters, configurations and traffic conditions, and other practical effects, e.g., channel noise, and capturing effects. An accurate voice capacity estimation model considering these factors can greatly assist network designers. In the current work, we propose an analytical model to estimate voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) capacity over Wi-Fi networks addressing these issues. We employ widely used ITU-T E-model to assess voice quality and VoIP call capacity is presented in the form of an optimization problem with voice quality requirement as a constraint. In particular, we analyze delay and loss in channel access and queue, and their impacts on voice quality. The proposed capacity model is first developed for a single hop wireless local area network (WLAN) and then extended for multihop scenarios. To model real network scenario closely, we also consider channel noise and capture effect, and analyze the impacts of transmission range, interference range, and WLAN radius. In absence of any existing call capacity model that considers all the above factors concomitantly, our proposed model will be extremely useful to network designers and voice capacity planners.