Evaluation of Jumboframes feasibility in LTE access networks

Long Term Evolution (LTE) represents the cutting-edge broadband wireless access technology in providing ubiquitous and simultaneous connectivity to many users. This paper evaluates the impact that packets breaking the 1500 bytes legacy value, called Jumboframes, have in LTE networks, by exploiting and extending the network stack in the ns-3 simulator. We first provide an overview about the key features of LTE starting from a physical layer perspective, to logical functions like the adaptive modulation and coding scheme, together with a detailed description of the Radio Link Control (RLC) segmentation capabilities. A comparative evaluation is performed based on diverse network configuration criteria, such as user position, density and mobility. We aim at assessing the benefits and caveats that derive from Jumboframes usage in LTE networks. Moreover, a novel cross-layer approach is proposed to mitigate the effect of rapid buffer saturation, due to the transmission of oversized packets with scarce radio resources. To conclude, we test our framework through the analysis of realistic video traces.