Research on Video Streaming in SATCOM Networks

Video streaming over satellite networks, due to a high propagation time over the satellite links, requires modification of the traditional approach for streaming over terrestrial networks. An additional challenge arises when the SATCOM network has video streams with variable data rates and channels that are dynamically shared among different users. The number of new video stream requests that can be accommodated cannot be known in a pre-determined manner.

The main thesis of this research work is to a methodology for estimation of the bandwidth in such dynamically-varying satellite communication channels. This is attempted by using the tool of Pathload in satellite communication network. We modify this open-source tool, which has been developed for the terrestrial application, to account for the increased latency over the satellite links and apply it to the SATCOM channels. Numerous experiments are conducted to demonstrate the improvement in the accuracy of the estimated bandwidth after the proposed changes are incorporated in this tool. When the estimated bandwidth is close to the available limit, the rates of different video streams are adapted (by selective transmission of only specific, visually important, SVC layers) to ensure that the active streams do not stall.