Utility-Based Resource Allocation for Layer-Encoded IPTV Multicast Service in Wireless Relay Networks

IPTV multicasting is an important service for residential users. In this paper, we explore how to allocate resources to different layer-encoded IPTV programs using multicast services in relay-assisted centralized wireless access networks. We consider the scenario of two-hop relay stations, and the MAC protocol is OFDMA-based, as in IEEE 802.16m or Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A). We formulate this problem via an Integer Linear Programming model and propose a heuristic algorithm called Maximum Utility resource allocation for Relayed Multicast Services (MU-RMS) to solve this problem. The simulation results show that our algorithm performs efficiently. We also show that our performance is affected by how the forwarding strategy is performed.