Monitoring Web QoE in Satellite Networks from Passive Measurements

Satellite Communication (SatCom) is the only choice to access the Internet in remote regions and is characterized by extreme latency and constrained capacity. For SatCom operators, it is thus fundamental to monitor the Quality of Experience (QoE) of subscribers, to measure their satisfaction, spot anomalies and optimize the peculiar network setup. The Web has become the primary source of Internet content, and Web browsing is the main activity of internauts. This paper addresses the challenge of monitoring Web QoE in SatCom environments, proposing a tailored system that employs a supervised approach to predict Web QoE using passive measurements. The system collects training data through Test Agents that mimic real subscribers’ traffic patterns and uses them to build Machine Learning (ML) models that predict performance metrics. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of monitoring Web QoE in SatCom environments, with limitations on website applicability and temporal stability. The need for periodic data generation and the development of a general machine learning model for unseen websites remain open challenges. This research contributes to enhancing web browsing experiences in SatCom and expanding understanding of Web QoE monitoring in diverse network settings.