Abstract: A method includes receiving, at a server associated with a network operator, a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs) associated with a media stream provided to a client device. The method includes processing, at the server, the plurality of URLs to determine a quality of experience metric. Processing the plurality of URLs includes extracting first URL data from a first URL and second URL data from a second URL of the plurality of URLs. The first URL data includes a first segment identifier associated with a first segment of a media content item and a first bit rate identifier. The second URL data includes a second segment identifier associated with a second segment of the media content item and a second bit rate identifier. A quality of experience metric may be determined based at least in part on the first URL data and the second URL data.

Abstract: Software downloads to Internet of things (IoT) devices are facilitated over a constrained network. In one embodiment a method comprises monitoring, by a network device comprising a processor, data determined to have been sent to a device for transmission to the device via a radio access network device of a wireless communication network, and determining, by the network device, a type of traffic associated with the data. The method further includes based on a determination that the data comprises firmware and that the type of traffic is of a traffic priority that is lower than a defined traffic priority, applying, by the network device, a low priority transport protocol to the data, wherein the applying comprises associating protocol information with the data representative of the low priority transport protocol.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining predicted available bandwidths for an end user device, monitoring buffer occupancy of a buffer of the end user device, determining bit rates for portions of media content according to the predicted available bandwidths and according to the buffer occupancy, and adjusting bit rates for portions of media content according to the predicted available bandwidths and according to the buffer occupancy during streaming of the media content to the end user device over a wireless network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, at a server associated with a network operator, a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs) associated with a media stream provided to a client device. The method includes processing, at the server, the plurality of URLs to determine a quality of experience metric. Processing the plurality of URLs includes extracting first URL data from a first URL and second URL data from a second URL of the plurality of URLs. The first URL data includes a first segment identifier associated with a first segment of a media content item and a first bit rate identifier. The second URL data includes a second segment identifier associated with a second segment of the media content item and a second bit rate identifier. A quality of experience metric may be determined based at least in part on the first URL data and the second URL data.

Abstract: In various aspects, a system that comprises detecting a congestion event in a network that transmits a first group of data packets and a second group of data packets, wherein the detecting the congestion event comprises detecting the congestion event has initiated in response to a data packet throughput value of the network having been determined to have decreased below a threshold value; in response to the detecting of the congestion event, determine a transmission rate of the second group of data packets based on a transmission priority of the second group of data packets; determining a data packet dropping rate for the second group of data packets based on the transmission rate of the second group of data packets and a size of the first group of data packets and transmitting the second group of data packets utilizing the transmission rate and the data packet dropping rate.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, from a first source of information, a first bandwidth prediction, wherein the first bandwidth prediction is based upon historical bandwidth data that had been provided by a plurality of devices; obtaining, from a second source of information, a second bandwidth prediction, wherein the second bandwidth prediction is based upon network measurements, and wherein the network measurements are other than the historical bandwidth data that had been provided by the plurality of devices; selecting as a source of a future bandwidth prediction one of the first source of information and the second source of information, wherein the selecting is based upon a comparison of each of the first bandwidth prediction and the second bandwidth prediction to an actually obtained bandwidth of the device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method including identifying, by a processing system including a processor, performance indicators for a flow on a communication network. The system determines a size criterion for the flow, and a flow shaping criterion based on the data type and including a threshold value of a performance indicator. If the size criterion is met, the system monitors the performance indicators and initiates a flow shaping procedure responsive to the flow shaping criterion being met. The system also detects a change in the performance indicators due to the flow shaping procedure, and discontinues the procedure during the flow, responsive to the changed performance indicators not meeting the flow shaping criterion. The system may also resume the flow shaping procedure during the flow if the performance indicators subsequently meet the flow shaping criterion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, obtaining, from a first source of information, a first bandwidth prediction, wherein the first bandwidth prediction is based upon historical bandwidth data that had been provided by a plurality of devices; obtaining, from a second source of information, a second bandwidth prediction, wherein the second bandwidth prediction is based upon network measurements, and wherein the network measurements are other than the historical bandwidth data that had been provided by the plurality of devices; selecting as a source of a future bandwidth prediction one of the first source of information and the second source of information, wherein the selecting is based upon a comparison of each of the first bandwidth prediction and the second bandwidth prediction to an actually obtained bandwidth of the device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies directed to agile transport for background traffic in cellular networks are disclosed herein. In various aspects, a system can include a processor and memory storing instructions that, upon execution, cause performance of operations. The operations can include determining a capacity of a communication path that communicatively couples a user equipment to a radio access network cell site. The operations can include identifying, from the radio access network cell site, a queue that is constructed for the user equipment. The operations can include assembling a plurality of probe burst packet sets from a background traffic flow. The operations can include probing the communication path for spare capacity using the plurality of probe burst packet sets and delivering the background traffic flow to the user equipment using the spare capacity while the communication path is not busy.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, receiving network information for a group of video sessions. Embodiments include calculating an overall video traffic metric for the group of video sessions for each cell based on the network information and include determining a first overall video traffic metric of a first cell is above a first predetermined threshold and a second overall video traffic metric of a second cell is below the first predetermined threshold. Also, embodiments include generating a graphical map that indicates the overall video traffic metric for each cell in the cellular network and sending the graphical map to a mobile device in the first cell showing first overall video traffic metric and the second overall video traffic metric relative to the first predetermined threshold. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Concepts and technologies directed to agile transport for background traffic in cellular network are disclosed herein. In various aspects, a system can include a processor and memory storing instructions that, upon execution, cause performance of operations. The operations can include determining a capacity of a communication path that communicatively couples a user equipment to a radio access network cell site. The operations can include identifying, from the radio access network cell site, a queue that is constructed for the user equipment. The operations can include assembling a plurality of probe burst packet sets from a background traffic flow. The operations can include probing the communication path for spare capacity using the plurality of probe burst packet sets and delivering the background traffic flow to the user equipment using the spare capacity while the communication path is not busy.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method including identifying, by a processing system including a processor, performance indicators for a flow on a communication network. The system determines a size criterion for the flow, and a flow shaping criterion based on the data type and including a threshold value of a performance indicator. If the size criterion is met, the system monitors the performance indicators and initiates a flow shaping procedure responsive to the flow shaping criterion being met. The system also detects a change in the performance indicators due to the flow shaping procedure, and discontinues the procedure during the flow, responsive to the changed performance indicators not meeting the flow shaping criterion. The system may also resume the flow shaping procedure during the flow if the performance indicators subsequently meet the flow shaping criterion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, setting a streaming rate cap for a client device; obtaining a bitrate ladder associated with the client device, wherein the bitrate ladder comprises a listing of a plurality of bitrates that the client device can request in connection with receiving streaming data; determining a boost rate for the client device, wherein the boost rate is greater than the streaming rate cap such that the boost rate enables the client device to receive the streaming data faster than the client device would otherwise receive the streaming data under the streaming rate cap, and wherein the boost rate is based upon the bitrate ladder; and enabling delivery to the client device of the streaming data up to the boost rate; wherein a network device is part of a network through which the streaming data is delivered to the client device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A buffer classification system calculates first flow metrics for a first flow in response to receiving first packet level data. The system in response to receiving HTTP information, generates buffer emulation data and creates one or more data training sets using the first flow metrics and buffer emulation data, wherein training data used to create the one or more training data sets is further generated by computing an average throughput per second observed over different time windows during a video playback. The system in response to creating the one or more training data sets, generates one or more classifier rules used to determine a buffer condition of a flow. The system in response to receiving second packet level data, calculates second flow metrics for a second flow and predicts a buffer condition for the second flow based on the second flow metrics and the one or more classifier rules.

Abstract: In one example, a processing system including at least one processor obtains a transport control protocol flow associated with a video session that streams a video from a server to a client. The transport control protocol flow comprises a plurality encrypted packets exchanged between the server and the client. The processing system then reconstructs a hypertext transfer protocol transaction that is part of the streaming video session. The reconstructing is performed without decrypting the plurality of encrypted packets.

Abstract: A method includes receiving, at a server associated with a network operator, a plurality of uniform resource locators (URLs) associated with a media stream provided to a client device. The method includes processing, at the server, the plurality of URLs to determine a quality of experience metric. Processing the plurality of URLs includes extracting first URL data from a first URL and second URL data from a second URL of the plurality of URLs. The first URL data includes a first segment identifier associated with a first segment of a media content item and a first bit rate identifier. The second URL data includes a second segment identifier associated with a second segment of the media content item and a second bit rate identifier. A quality of experience metric may be determined based at least in part on the first URL data and the second URL data.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a processing system identifies a plurality of performance indicators comprising device performance indicators for a plurality of communication devices on a cellular network and network performance indicators for the cellular network. The method also includes obtaining historical data regarding the plurality of performance indicators for each of a series of time points during a past time period; the historical data for each of the plurality of performance indicators form an array of values for that performance indicator. The method further includes generating from each array a set of inputs to an algorithm for predicting a throughput of the cellular network during a future time period; the set of inputs comprises quantiles of the array, and the algorithm comprises a machine learning algorithm. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Abstract: A processing system may obtain a first frame of a first variant associated with a reference copy of a video, where a plurality of variants comprises copies of the video encoded at different bitrates, determine a frame number of the first frame from a visual overlay containing the first frame number, calculate a first image distance between the first frame and a frame of the reference copy having the frame number, determine, from among a plurality of image distances for frames of each variant having the frame number, a closest image distance to the first image distance, the plurality of image distances comprising image distances between frames of the variants and the frame of the reference copy having the frame number, and identify the first frame as being from the first variant in accordance with a variant associated with the first closest image distance.

Abstract: Devices, computer-readable media, and methods for recording a video chunk in a designated order comprising a plurality of intra-frame coded frames followed by a plurality of inter-frame coded frames are disclosed. For instance, a processing system including at least one processor may obtain a video chunk associated with a time block of a video. In one example, the video chunk includes a plurality of frames encoded in a bitrate of a plurality of available bitrates for the time block of the video, and the plurality of frames includes a plurality of intra-frame coded frames and a plurality of inter-frame coded frames. In one example, the plurality of frames is in a first order. The processing system may then record the video chunk in a second order comprising the plurality of intra-frame coded frames followed by the plurality of inter-frame coded frames.

Abstract: Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a method in which a processing system identifies a plurality of performance indicators comprising device performance indicators for a plurality of communication devices on a cellular network and network performance indicators for the cellular network. The method also includes obtaining historical data regarding the plurality of performance indicators for each of a series of time points during a past time period; the historical data for each of the plurality of performance indicators form an array of values for that performance indicator. The method further includes generating from each array a set of inputs to an algorithm for predicting a throughput of the cellular network during a future time period; the set of inputs comprises quantiles of the array, and the algorithm comprises a machine learning algorithm. Other embodiments are disclosed.