Web Optimization in Real UMTS Networks with Channel Switching Mechanisms

Web download performance is dramatically degraded in UMTS, resulting in perceived throughputs of around 25% of the expected bandwidth even in favorable conditions. We analyze the main factors that lead to this low performance. We then propose end-to-end mechanisms and proxy-based approaches to improve overall performance and maximize link utilization in UMTS. We evaluate these solutions in a real UMTS scenario. The results show an improvement of up to 50% in terms of download time and a saving of around 10% of the exchanged information in UMTS networks with channel switching mechanisms.