Effect of Nakagami-m fading on the QoE performance of VoIP in wireless mesh networks

Communication channels in wireless networks are always subject to fading. Ignoring fading characteristics leads to overly optimistic quality expectations for the offered services. In this paper, we examine the behavior of IEEE 802.11s wireless mesh networks considering Nakagami-m fading channels, which is a more generalized fading model than Rayleigh and Rician distributions. We quantify the effects of fading on the quality of experience (QoE) performance of VoIP services. Via simulation results, we demonstrate that in order to obtain acceptable VoIP QoE levels, at least 20 dB additional signal to noise ratio (SNR) is required by severe fading channels when compared to non-fading channels.