Optimal foresighted packet scheduling and resource allocation for multi-user video transmission in 4G cellular networks

We study joint resource allocation and packet scheduling for multi-user video transmission in a 4G cellular network, where the base station (BS) allocates resources (i.e. bandwidth) among the users and each user schedules its video packets based on the allocated resources. Most existing works either propose myopic solutions for multi-user video transmission, in which the resource allocation and packet scheduling is designed to maximize the short-term video quality, or propose foresighted packet scheduling solutions for single-user video transmission which maximize the long-term video quality. In this work, we propose foresighted resource allocation and packet scheduling solutions for multi-user video transmission. Specifically, we develop a low-complexity algorithm in which the BS updates the prices of resources for each user and the users make individual packet scheduling decisions based on the prices. The algorithm can be implemented by the BS and the users in a decentralized manner, and converges to the optimal prices under which the users´ optimal decisions maximize the long-term total video quality subject to per-user minimum video quality guarantees. Simulation results show 7 dB and 3 dB improvements in PSNR (Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio) over myopic solutions and existing foresighted solutions, respectively.