QoE-based scheduling algorithm in WiMAX network

WiMAX, the acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is a set of technical standards based on IEEE 802.16 standard. It provides an internet connection to broadband coverage area of several kilometers in radius, it´s an adequate response to some rural or inaccessible areas. Unlike DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) or other wired technology, WiMAX uses radio waves and can provide point-to-multipoint (PMP) and point-to-point (P2P) modes. In parallel, it was observed that in the contrast of the traditional quality evaluation approaches, nowadays, current researches focus on the user perceived quality, the existing scheduling approaches take into account the quality of service (QoS), mobility and many other parameters, but do not consider the quality of experience (QoE). In this paper, we develop a scheduling algorithm to provide QoE to the WiMAX network. A novel approach is proposed, especially for the Best Effort (BE) WiMAX service class, in this approach if there has been a packet loss on a connection, the system reduces the transmission rate of this connection, until achieving its minimum allowable transmission rate. Simulation results on NS-2 simulator show that by applying various levels of mean opinion score (MOS) the QoE provided to the users is enhanced in term of throughput, jitter, packet loss rate and delay.