QoE Measurement Collection

Description

QoE Measurement Collection (QMC) is a standardized framework within 3GPP for the collection of Quality of Experience (QoE) metrics from end-user devices. QoE differs from traditional Quality of Service (QoS) by focusing on the subjective perception of a service by the end-user, such as video quality, audio clarity, or application responsiveness. The QMC framework defines the procedures, signaling, and information models necessary for the network to configure, activate, and receive QoE measurements from the User Equipment (UE). It operates across multiple service types, with a primary focus on media streaming services like HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS).

The architecture involves several network functions. The Policy Control Function (PCF) or Application Function (AF) can request QoE measurements for specific users or services. This request is communicated to the UE via the Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) and the Radio Access Network (RAN). The UE, equipped with a QoE measurement client, then performs the measurements according to the received configuration. This configuration includes parameters like the service type (e.g., video streaming), target metrics (e.g., initial playback delay, rebuffering ratio, video codec information), and reporting triggers (e.g., periodic, event-based).

The UE collects data during the service session. For video streaming, this can include application-layer metrics like buffer status, resolution changes, and stall events. Once collected, the measurement reports are sent back to a designated collection entity, often a Mediation Function (MF) or directly to an Application Function (AF) like a video analytics server. The reports are transported over standardized interfaces, such as Nq between the UE and the AMF, and potentially Nm between the AMF and the MF. The collected data is then aggregated and analyzed by the operator or service provider to gain insights into real-world service performance, identify problem areas, and drive network and service improvements.

Purpose & Motivation

QMC was introduced to address the growing need for operators and service providers to understand the actual end-user experience, which is not fully captured by traditional network-centric QoS metrics. As services like video streaming became dominant, issues like video stalling, resolution degradation, and slow start-up times directly impacted user satisfaction and retention. Prior to QMC, operators relied on network probes, deep packet inspection (DPI), or limited, proprietary device reporting, which provided an incomplete or indirect view of QoE.

The creation of QMC was motivated by the industry's shift towards user-centric network management. It solves the problem of obtaining direct, standardized, and rich QoE data from the endpoint itself—the UE. This enables correlation of network conditions (e.g., radio signal strength, throughput) with actual application performance as perceived by the user. By standardizing this collection framework in Rel-14 and beyond, 3GPP ensured interoperability between devices and network analytics platforms, allowing for scalable, automated QoE-driven optimization and closed-loop operations.