Abstract
The past decade has witnessed rapid penetration of multimedia broadcast and multicast services over wire line networks (i.e. fixed networks) and this has largely been due to user demands and the technological advances in IP multicast. However, 2nd Generation mobile networks have not been able to meet user demands for these services due to their inability to support high data rate services, or to provide efficient multicast techniques over mobile cellular networks. The 3rd generation mobile terrestrial networks (T-UMTS) overcame one of the issues by allowing point-to-point high data rate services, but initial standardisation did not support an efficient way to deliver multimedia services, on a point-to-multipoint basis and this is only recently being addressed via the Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast Services (MBMS) bearer model. With their inherent broadcast capabilities and larger geographical coverage, satellite networks form an attractive platform as a compliment to the terrestrial networks for delivery of such services. However, the standardisation process is still in early stages (compared to T-UMTS) of introducing similar MBMS bearer models to the 3rd generation mobile satellite network (S-UMTS). To this end, this research investigates the possible improvements required to exiting S-UMTS specifications to facilitate MBM content over the satellite radio interface whilst addressing the reliability of the content delivery. The thesis presents; A comprehensive study of applicable reliability mechanisms to improve delivering of MBM content over the S-UMTS network. Development and performance demonstration of a novel Dynamic Rate Matching (DRM) procedure to improve the S-UMTS downlink power utilisation (proposed modification to the exiting specification). Proposal for S-UMTS RLC layer based PLFEC mechanism and performance evaluation. Proposal for and the performance demonstration of a power aware Adaptive PLFEC method to improve the reliability of the MBM content via S-UMTS network 9whilst improving the radio resource utilisation. Finally, presented results have shown that when the proposed DRM procedure associates with the power aware APLFEC will; more efficiently utilise the scarce radio resources whilst providing better error protection levels (i.e. higher user satisfaction level) compared to the exiting MBM content delivery mechanisms used via Satellite UMTS radio access network.