IPTV over WiMAX: Key success factors, challenges, and solutions

The advances in broadband Internet access and scalable video technologies have made it possible for Internet Protocol television (IPTV) to become the next killer application for modern Internet carriers in metropolitan areas. With the recent release of IEEE 802.16d/e (worldwide interoperability for microwave access or WiMAX), broadband wireless access (BWA) is envisioned to further extend IPTV services to a new application scenario with wireless and mobility dimensions. It is a very strategic but challenging leverage for a carrier to glimpse the potential of IPTV by using WiMAX as the access network. Challenges are posed for IPTV over WiMAX due to multicasting under a diversity of fading conditions. A cross-layer design framework based on a novel two-level superposition coded multicasting (SCM) scheme is introduced. Simulation results show that much improved video quality is achievable with our approach.