Pricing, provisioning and peering: dynamic markets fordifferentiated Internet services and implications for networkinterconnections

This paper presents a decentralized auction-based approach to pricing of edge-allocated bandwidth in a differentiated services Internet. The players in our network economy model are one raw-capacity seller per network, one broker per service per network, and users, to play the roles of whole-sellers, retailers, and end-buyers, respectively, in a two-tier wholeseller/retailer market, which is best interpreted as a “sender-pay” model. With the progressive second price auction mechanism as the basic building block, we conduct a game theoretic analysis, deriving optimal strategies for buyers and brokers, and show the existence of networkwide market equilibria. In addition to pricing, another key consideration in building differentiated network services is the feasibility of maintaining stable and consistent service level agreements across multiple networks where demand-driven dynamic allocations are made only at the edges. Based on the proposed game-theoretic model, we are able to construct an explicit necessary and sufficient condition for the stability of the game, which determines the sustainability of any set of service level agreement configurations between Internet service providers. These analytical results are validated with simulations of user and broker dynamics, using the distributed progressive second price auction as the spot market mechanism in a scenario with three interconnected networks, and two services based on the proposed standard expedited forwarding and assured forwarding per-hop behavior     

Cooperation and Fairness for Slotted Aloha

Wireless access based on slotted Aloha with selfish users may result in very inefficient use of the system resources. To impose cooperation and fairness in such systems, we propose an optimal pricing strategy, based on which the service provider can regulate the overall network behavior. As the users’ utility incorporates the price paid for using the spectrum, by striving to improve their own performance, the users act to optimize the overall network performance. Our analysis is based on a game theoretic framework, and we consider both the simple collision model for packet reception, as well as multipacket reception capabilities for the physical layer. The proposed pricing strategy enforces fairness under the constraint of an equal access probability.     

The Price of Simplicity

We study revenue-maximizing pricing by a service provider in a communication network and compare revenues from simple pricing rules to the maximum revenues that are feasible. In particular, we focus on flat entry fees as the simplest pricing rule. We provide a lower bound for the ratio between the revenue from this pricing rule and maximum revenue, which we refer to as the Price of Simplicity. We characterize what types of environments lead to a low Price of Simplicity and show that in a range of environments, the loss of revenue from using simple entry fees is small. We then study the Price of Simplicity for a simple non-linear pricing (price discrimination) scheme based on the Paris Metro Pricing. The service provider creates different service classes and charges differential entry fees for these classes. We show that the gain from this type of price discrimination is small, particularly in environments in which the simple entry fee pricing leads to a low Price of Simplicity.     

分布式媒体服务系统结合请求调度的接入控制研究

由于多媒体业务需要更大的带宽和更高的实时性,所以对服务系统和接入控制提出了更高的要求。文章针对分布式媒体服务系统提出了一种新颖的接入控制方法,与以往方法不同之处在于将请求调度融合在接入控制之中,从而提高了系统的服务性能。我们先为系统建立部分可观Markov决策过程(POMDP)模型,并将请求调度融合在决策中,然后使用基于观测的随机接入控制策略,通过策略梯度优化算法仿真求解模型的最优策略。仿真结果表明,与其他分布式接入控制方法相比,该文所提方法在有效利用系统资源的同时,提高了系统性能。     

Impact of 3G and beyond technology development and pricing on mobile data service provisioning,usage and diffusion

This study investigates the third generation mobile telecommunication systems (3G) diffusion challenges in the situation where large-scale mobile data service usage has not yet broken through. The paper first analyzes incumbent mobile operator business prospects in a large Western-European country. The results suggest that rollout of the most advanced available 3G technologies pay back through increased data service usage and revenues in the situation of declining voice revenues. In the main body of the study we discuss different pricing models and demonstrate that the flat rate pricing of data services, supplemented with certain conditions, supports the large-scale take-up of mobile data services. It boosts the usage of mobile data services and provides a competitive and sustainable business model for the operators and other market actors at the same time. Our modeling indicates furthermore, that flat rate model, combined with open access, gives better incentives to rollout high-speed mobile technologies to the rural areas, than the traffic-based charging.     

The Impacts of an Electronic Marketplace with Multiple Independent Retailers for Smart Grocery Ordering Systems

This study investigates the impacts of an electronic marketplace with multiple independent retailers for a smart grocery ordering system. Apart from replenishing products from suppliers, the system can also purchase/sell products from/to the electronic marketplace through ‘spot shops’. Both static and dynamic pricing models for the electronic marketplace are developed. An extensive numerical experiment is conducted and the results show that under both static and dynamic pricing, (i) the inventory cost of the aggregated supply chain is significantly reduced; (ii) each participant also enjoys significant cost savings from employing the electronic marketplace. Furthermore, the cost savings increase as the lead times from suppliers increase and/or the variability of their demands increases. The participants’ cost savings also increase as more participants employ the electronic marketplace.     

Convergence enabled by BT’s next generation of clients

With the recent proliferation of on-line communications and collaboration services and the growing numbers and types of users, it is the whole customer experience and the quality of the user interfaces that is now being seen as the main differentiating factor by many product and service manufacturers. In this paper we provide an overview of some of our user interaction research, which is driving BT’s commercial capability in this space. We aim to show how a user-centric approach can lead to better architectural and technology choices when delivering these services and how it leads to a more powerful, accessible and holistic set of services for BT’s customers. This in turn will result in a more clearly defined and recognisable BT brand and a larger, global customer base.     

双层分级蜂窝网最优频谱分配与定价

针对异频组网的双层分级蜂窝网,提出了一种基于纳什谈判解法的最优频谱分配与定价策略,该策略能激励家庭基站采用开放用户组模式,最大化频谱效益。通过Stackelberg博弈建模,分析了频谱定价与用户需求的关系。通过纳什谈判解法,获得了最佳的频谱分配与定价策略,按需地为宏基站与家庭基站分配了带宽资源,定量地分析了家庭基站所提高的频谱效益。仿真结果表明,该策略相比非合作博弈方法,可有效提高运营商以及家庭基站拥有者所能获得的频谱效益,部署家庭基站将提高蜂窝网络的总效益。      

Networks and systems for BT in the 21st century

This paper provides an overview of BT’s 21st century network architecture. Analysis shows that this will deliver an improved customer experience, faster service provision and a significant overall cost reduction on today’s base. These aims can only be achieved by a ground-breaking approach which moves from multiple networks each providing one service to a true multiservice network where the services are delivered by combining reusable capabilities. The architecture is therefore based on network, intelligence and operational support systems built from reusable components and an application layer that can expose these capabilities through open interfaces.     

A Context-Aware Network Equipment for Dynamic Adaptation of Multimedia Services in Wireless Networks

B3G (Beyond 3rd Generation) networks is the next step in the wireless world. It will enable the delivery of services to end-users, on different underlying wireless access networks and customised to users’ context. Furthermore, seamless mobility between networks and switch of devices will be handled in a transparent way. In this paper, a Context-Aware Network Equipment (CANE) is introduced, that is able to dynamically adapt multimedia services according to the users’ context. The term context includes the users’ device, the users’ preferences, the network conditions as well as the service provider adaptation policies. As a proof of concept, an implementation of a CANE is given for a 802.11 network use-case. An evaluation of the prototype as well as simulations of the proposed solution, both for an audio streaming service and a video streaming service, are presented. The results show that adapting multimedia services in case of network overload can enable to maintain an acceptable quality of service delivered to end-users and even to allow more users to enjoy the services, which will not be possible without the CANE.     

The next generation of systems to support corporate grade ICT products and solutions

The delivery of next generation IT and communications services to corporate customers is a principal part of BT’s growth strategy. These services range from IP virtual private networks, to hosted applications, through to fully managed solutions spanning complex IT and network infrastructures. The cost and flexibility of such services is increasingly dependent on the operational support systems (OSS), which automate activities such as provisioning, change, billing, and incident management. However, the OSS challenges for the service provider have never been so great — not only to support a wide-ranging portfolio of legacy products, but also a new generation of convergent products, while at the same time trying to deliver both improved service and cost savings. Moreover, in the corporate sector, large contracts are typically won in partnerships, and through outsourcing. The OSS must therefore interwork seamlessly with the counterpart OSS in each of the partner’s operations, pulling together to deliver a single managed service to the customer. This paper outlines BT’s solution to these complex OSS challenges, the application of its systems capability matrix to corporate customers, the relationship to its alliance with HP, the importance of standards such as ITIL, and how BT is levering its research and venturing capabilities to deliver a competitive edge through OSS.     

混合业务场景下的合作博弈动态资源管理策略

LTE系统对各类多媒体业务的承载能力对其未来应用至关重要。面向混合业务场景，本文建立了合作博弈模型描述各类业务之间的关系，并提出了一种动态资源管理策略。系统根据当前业务状态为各类业务分配所需资源，进而，根据业务属性确定各个用户的调度优先级。结果表明所提出的资源管理策略能够有效提高系统频谱效率及各类业务的服务质量。     

Utility Based Short-term Throughput Driven Scheduling Approach for Efficient Resource Allocation in CDMA Wireless Networks

In this paper, we address the problem of efficient recourse allocation in CDMA wireless networks supporting multimedia services with various and often diverse QoS prerequisites, placing special emphasis on real-time services’ essential requirements satisfaction. We first provide an analytical framework for studying real-time users’ short-term delay and throughput properties under fundamental opportunistic scheduling policies. The corresponding results demonstrate that probabilistic delay constraints are insufficient indicators of real-time services’ QoS prerequisites, while probabilistic short-term throughput requirements are more appropriate in asserting their performance expectations. Based on these observations and results, we propose and develop a scheduling policy for efficiently supporting heterogeneous services that include delay-tolerant non-real-time and delay-sensitive real-time services, over a wireless CDMA system under a common utility based framework. A user’s utility characterizes his degree of satisfaction for the received service as well as QoS expectations fulfillment, in a normalized way. Aiming at the maximization of users’ utilities, both non-real-time services’ long-term and real-time services’ short-term throughput QoS requirements are met, under the proposed opportunistic scheduler. Finally, via modeling and simulation it is demonstrated that significant performance improvements concerning both types of services’ QoS requirements satisfaction are achieved through the proposed scheduling approach.     

An economic model for pricing tiered network services

We consider networks offering tiered services and corresponding price structures, a model that has become prevalent in practice. We develop an economic model for such networks and make contributions in two important areas. First, we formulate the problem of selecting the service tiers from three perspectives: one that considers the users’ interests only, one that considers only the service provider’s interests, and one that considers both simultaneously, i.e., the interests of society as a whole. We also present an approximate yet accurate and efficient solution approach for tackling these nonlinear programming problems. Given the set of (near-) optimal service tiers, we then employ game-theoretic techniques to find an optimal price for each service tier that strikes a balance between the conflicting objectives of users and service provider. This work provides a theoretical framework for reasoning about and pricing Internet tiered services, as well as a practical toolset for network providers to develop customized menus of service offerings. Our results also indicate that tiering solutions currently adopted by ISPs perform poorly both for the providers and society overall.     

Service differentiation economic models and analysis of market-based QoS interconnections

Technical and regulatory changes motivate the economics of the interconnections to be re-examined for the next-generation Internet. This paper presents a framework for the economics of market-based QoS interconnection networks. The economic model presented captures the characteristics of opportunity costs and demands and suggests strategies for QoS pricing and allocation. We use the statistical results of network simulation to present numerical examples of those market opportunity costs with respect to the contracted QoS network services. Using the model, we show the network economics of market-based QoS interconnections.     

Learning dynamic prices in MultiSeller electronic retail markets with price sensitive customers, stochastic demands, and inventory replenishments

In this paper, we use reinforcement learning (RL) as a tool to study price dynamics in an electronic retail market consisting of two competing sellers, and price sensitive and lead time sensitive customers. Sellers, offering identical products, compete on price to satisfy stochastically arriving demands (customers), and follow standard inventory control and replenishment policies to manage their inventories. In such a generalized setting, RL techniques have not previously been applied. We consider two representative cases: 1) no information case, were none of the sellers has any information about customer queue levels, inventory levels, or prices at the competitors; and 2) partial information case, where every seller has information about the customer queue levels and inventory levels of the competitors. Sellers employ automated pricing agents, or pricebots, which use RL-based pricing algorithms to reset the prices at random intervals based on factors such as number of back orders, inventory levels, and replenishment lead times, with the objective of maximizing discounted cumulative profit. In the no information case, we show that a seller who uses Q-learning outperforms a seller who uses derivative following (DF). In the partial information case, we model the problem as a Markovian game and use actor-critic based RL to learn dynamic prices. We believe our approach to solving these problems is a new and promising way of setting dynamic prices in multiseller environments with stochastic demands, price sensitive customers, and inventory replenishments.     

Considering User Behavior and Multiple QoS Supports in Multimedia Streaming Caching

With the prevalence of video-on-demand (VOD) services as well as the diffusion of various multimedia devices, caching in a multimedia streaming server is becoming increasingly important. However, due to some peculiar characteristics of multimedia objects and user activities in streaming services, design of an efficient caching system becomes a more challenging problem compared to the traditional caching systems. This paper discusses some important issues that are of interest in the domain of multimedia streaming caching and presents a new cache management scheme for multimedia streaming servers. Our new scheme considers different streaming rates of multimedia objects as well as the inter-arrival time between two consecutive requests on an identical object. It also considers user activities in requesting and playing multimedia contents. Trace-driven simulations with real world VOD traces show that the proposed scheme improves the performance of multimedia streaming systems significantly.     

ARMS — application of AI and OR methods to resource management

This paper documents work on automating resource management in BT Retail. BT Retail manages BT’s access network and provides telecommunications services to its customers. BT Retail’s field engineers are allocated jobs via an information system known as Work Manager. In order to proactively position the engineers (i.e. resources) so as to service jobs in an optimal manner, resource managers are involved in analysing the profiles of engineers in the light of incoming jobs and ’selecting’ those profiles that will yield best quality of service and reduce operational costs. A profile is a set of attributes that define a resource’s capabilities (i.e. skills), capacity (i.e. availability), and location (i.e. area). Resource planning involves identifying an ‘optimal’ set of resource profiles. Accurate workload forecasting is sine qua non for optimal resource planning. To this end we have developed ARMS, Automated Resource Management System, a suite of components for workload forecasting and resource planning.     

基于IEEE802.16e的多级别业务调度算法研究

在IEEE802.16e标准中,保证QoS的调度算法一直是人们研究的热点,它涉及到从单一业务到多级别业务的调度服务.对多级别业务调度的支持是保证系统性能的重要技术之一.本文针对多级别业务常用的分层调度和联合调度策略,从系统吞吐量、QoS性能和公平性等方面对之进行的仿真分析和性能比较.仿真结果表明联合调度策略综合性能较好.     

From desktop to data centre — addressing the OSS challenges in the delivery of network-centric ICT services

With increased commoditisation of traditional services, telecommunications service providers are exploiting their core network-centric strengths and targeting increased revenues from ICT-based services. Aimed at enterprise-scale customers, these services range from the provision of IP-VPNs to full IT outsourcing, and span the range of infrastructure domains from desktop to data centre. The primary challenge lies not in the ICT infrastructure itself, but in the increasing demands placed upon the operational support systems (OSS) to deliver services holistically across the range of ICT operations. Based on BT’s experience with corporate and government customers, this paper presents a detailed study of the ICT challenges on the OSS in achieving an end-to-end view of ICT service management. It proposes an architectural route forward and highlights BT’s work on policy-based service management solutions.