Using cooperative multiple paths to reduce file download latency in cellular data networks

Current cellular data networks provide relatively low throughput, which results in long delays when downloading large files. We propose a cooperative parallel file downloading scheme to reduce latency in cellular data networks. Mobile nodes form a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) via their IEEE 802.11-based links to share their cellular link capacity. A file is split into pieces and downloaded simultaneously by the client and several neighbor nodes that act as relay proxies. The proxies then use the MANET to forward packets to the client. Thus, the client uses multiple paths for parallel downloading. No special hardware or modifications on the base stations are needed. An on-demand proxy discovery algorithm is proposed for fast and efficient proxy discovery. Experimental and simulation results show that cooperative parallel file downloading may significantly improve cellular network utilization and file download performance.