Multimedia Traffic QoS Adaptation in UMTS Systems Through a Middleware Functionality

In this paper the authors' attention is on the specification of a Middleware functionality for dynamic QOS control in multimedia cellular environments, such as UMTS. The functionality implements a soft QOS paradigm, at the same time optimising the perceptual QOS provided to the end user according to her/his needs. It will be shown that by exploiting suitable performance indexes and resource redistribution algorithms both an acceptable grade of service and a good degree of user satisfaction can be achieved, without an excessive increase in the network-signalling load.