CNS Core: Small: A Unified Approach to Internet Performance Measurement

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Telecommuting, distance learning, and virtual gatherings have significantly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. Poor Quality of Experience (QoE) of underlying networked software, such as video conferencing tools, degrades the usability of remote presence applications and thus impairs the effectiveness of distance communication and learning. However, current network performance measurement capabilities cannot systematically capture subjective aspects of QoE, hindering scientific study of this issue.The goal of this project is to develop and evaluate a fundamentally new approach to Internet performance measurement by conducting subjective assessments to measure the QoE of video streaming and conferencing applications in the wild and correlate these QoE measurements with Internet performance. Specifically, this research will 1) develop a unified assessment platform to crowdsource novel experiments for measuring the QoE of video streaming and video conferencing; 2) leverage gamification techniques to incentivize subject participation and improve overall efficiency of the experimental effort; and 3) combine analyses of QoE assessment data with external network topology and performance measurements to diagnose QoE degradations induced by congestion events on interconnections and last-mile access links.This research will advance the field's capabilities to diagnose performance degradation of essential tools for remote learning and telecommuting in the United States. In the process, this project will mentor a diverse set of undergraduate/high school students, who will learn about real-world Internet measurement through participating in platform development.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.