Abstract: The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for passive estimation mechanism for backhaul management at a small cell base station. For example, the method may include determining, at the small cell base station, whether a time slot utilization of a flow at a user equipment (UE) in communication with the small cell base station is above a first threshold, wherein a plurality of time slots are associated with the flow, determining whether an average throughput of the flow is below a second threshold in response to determining that the time slot utilization is above the first threshold, and identifying that the flow is not satisfied in response to determining that the average throughput of the flow is below the second threshold. As such, passive estimation mechanism for backhaul management at a small cell base station may be achieved.

Abstract: The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for heavy active estimation mechanism for backhaul management at a small cell base station. For example, the method may include identifying, at the small cell base station, that a throughput of a user equipment (UE) in communication with the small cell base station is potentially limited due to backhaul congestion at the small cell base station, establishing a proxy flow between the small cell base station and a transmission control protocol (TCP) proxy peer in response to the identifying, wherein the proxy flow data packets are transmitted from the small cell base station to the TCP proxy peer or from the TCP proxy peer to the small cell base station, calculating a throughput of the proxy flow for a pre-determined time period, and determining whether the throughput of the UE is limited by backhaul congestion at the small cell base station based on the calculated throughput of the proxy flow.

Abstract: The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for a light active estimation mechanism for backhaul management at a small cell base station. For example, the method may include transmitting a first data packet from the small cell base station to a network entity, receiving a second data packet from the network entity in response to the transmission, calculating a time delay between the transmitting of the first data packet and the receiving of the second data packet, and determining whether or not a backhaul of the small cell base station is congested based on the calculated time delay. As such, light active estimation mechanism for backhaul management at a small cell base station may be achieved.

Abstract: The present disclosure presents a method and an apparatus for backhaul management at a small cell base station. For example, the method may include receiving an indication from a radio resource management (RRM) framework of a small cell base station, wherein the indication received from the RRM framework is related to a coverage problem at a user equipment (UE), and wherein the UE is in communication with the small cell, and modifying a backhaul estimation mechanism at the small cell base station for the UE based on the indication received from the RRM framework of the small cell base station. As such, backhaul management at a small cell base station may be achieved.

Abstract: A method for improving link efficiency in multicast transmissions is described. A data packet is sent to a multicast server. The data packet is processed. A copy of the data packet is transmitted from the multicast server to a multicast internet protocol (IP) address associated with one or more access terminals. The copy of the data packet is multicast to each of the one or more access terminals using a channel dedicated for multicast traffic that is associated with each of the one or more access terminals.

Abstract: A method for improving link efficiency in multicast transmissions is described. A data packet is sent to a multicast server. The data packet is processed. A copy of the data packet is transmitted from the multicast server to a multicast internet protocol (IP) address associated with one or more access terminals. The copy of the data packet is multicast to each of the one or more access terminals using a channel dedicated for multicast traffic that is associated with each of the one or more access terminals.