Characterizing Traffic Flow

In earlier chapters, we described how bursty bandwidth can put RF components (RF
power amplifiers) into compression. Bursty bandwidth can also put ADCs into compression.

Bursty bandwidth can also cause buffer overflow in routers, resulting in
packet loss (buffer bandwidth compression). The properties of the traffic on the network
therefore directly impact hardware performance in the network.
To work out how well our network will work, now and in the future, we need to
characterize the traffic flowing through the network. The focus today tends to be to try
and characterize the content being delivered from the network out to the target device.
The alternative approach is to characterize content captured by the subscriber, processed
in the subscriber’s handset, and then sent to the network for onward transmission—the
offered traffic mix.
Six industries, are presently converging all of which either produce or influence content.
Computer products, consumer electronics products, and IT products all help to generate
traffic. This traffic may come from, or go to, a wireline, wireless, or TV network.

The Internet is used increasingly as part of the delivery process. This means that we
need to consider the impact of offered traffic on Internet protocols and the impact of
Internet protocols on offered traffic.