Evaluating visual quality and video MOS based on subjective perception

Video services are very popular and so is their use today in various services and media. YouTube and Netflix are merely the pioneers in video streaming; many other services have followed. Broadcasting stations move more and more content online, videos are shared via social media, and peer-to-peer applications are on the rise; for example, video chat services (e.g. Skype), or…

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Harmonizing user interfaces: how to avoid user interface fragmentation (part 1 of 3)

User interface (UI) fragmentation is a problem that many large companies face when their products are created by different teams. Different teams may have different tendencies and preferences, the products may use different technology stacks and the applications may use different frameworks. The results are often fragmented and inconsistent user interfaces. The higher the fragmentation across your products, the higher…

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How phone design affects system design

In our introduction to how system design enhances the quality and reliability of measurements, we hinted at a myriad of key factors that have an effect on end-user experience, one of them being the device itself and the technologies it supports. In this post, we will look at the evolution of phone design and how it impacts the engineering and designing…

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Suspecting PIM issues in your network? Let us help you find the root cause

More subscribers and higher data rates translate into a constant strain on networks, no matter where. But what could have happened when technicians are notified of low performance yet cannot find any defective components at the BTS site? The answer may be: passive intermodulation, or PIM. And, the source of this PIM problem could be a tiny metal flake in…

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How system design enhances the quality and reliability of measurements

Analyzing quality of experience (QoE) and quality of service (QoS) is like shooting at a moving target: in constant flux and affected by a myriad of variables – both known and unknown. Undeniable key factors affecting end-user experience, however, include the network (e.g. the capacity), the location (i.e. the placement of the device, e.g. indoors or outdoors, stationary or moving,…

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Smart macro network enhancements: carrier aggregation

The popularity of app services among smartphone users poses a serious challenge to mobile operators: data consumption is soaring; and with an expected 10-fold increase in the next 5 years, investments to merely transfer the sheer amount of data are inevitable. So, how can network operators best address these increasing network capacity and performance demands? Carrier aggregation is one option….

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VoLTE is real, VoLTE is now – the latest measurement results

In early 2015, the first operators enabled Voice over LTE (VoLTE) for their customers in Europe. This requires LTE coverage, a VoLTE-capable phone and – at least in the first months – a dedicated subscription. Today, LTE coverage is widely available and state-of-the-art devices support VoLTE natively. Now is the time to answer some questions: Does VoLTE improve telephony for…

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Challenges of mobile video services for network operators

Mobile video services by far demand the biggest chunk of data in today’s mobile networks. According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast 2016, by 2020, video services will account for 75% of all data consumption. The performance of video services has a large influence on customer satisfaction. For the mobile network operator, the decision to deliver higher or…

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Webinar report: mobile video quality testing

Video is ubiquitous. The performance of video services in mobile networks is fundamental to customer satisfaction and quality of experience. Video quality testing in mobile networks is challenging; but with the right tools and measurement approaches, it proves highly successful.  Today, there is a general tendency towards higher resolutions. This is in line with increasing transport capacities of networks, high-resolution…

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