Whitepaper
An AI-powered user-centric approach to network performance will underpin the internet of the future, argues Wi-Fi specialist Aprecomm
Not all data traffic passing through a network is equal. This is the premise at the heart of Aprecomm’s latest whitepaper, ‘Beyond QoS: Why QoE is the Future of Internet Performance Monitoring’, exploring why Quality of Service (QoS) needs to evolve to Quality of Experience (QoE) to truly benefit customers.
QoS is a set of metrics that have been the mainstay for internet service providers for decades when it comes to measuring and adjusting network performance. In short, QoS refers to a range of networking technologies-based metrics that combine to guarantee customers reliably receive a certain level of service, as defined by predetermined Service Level Agreements (SLAs). To do this, these technologies track a variety of network parameters, including bandwidth, latency, jitter, and packet loss, allowing the network to be adjusted based on the needs of specific use cases.
But QoS is a product of its time. Conceived when each customer had few connected devices on the network and data usage was largely predictable and homogenous, QoS had relatively little thought for the end user’s experience beyond the consumer premises equipment (CPE).
Now, however, even home networking is hugely complex. Each individual interacts with a myriad of connected devices every day, with use cases as diverse as streaming 4K video, to video conferencing and online gaming. Each of these online activities has unique network requirements; streaming, for example, will benefit from maximised throughput, while low latency and jitter reduction will be more important for gaming.
QoE takes these needs into account with a deeper understanding of each application’s precise needs, allowing the network to adapt to deliver an optimised experience, rather than simply meeting minimum service requirements.
HiSense, agentic AI, and the age of the intelligent network
This more holistic approach to customer experience is at the centre of Aprecomm’s Evolv® AI-engine, which continuously tracks and scores QoE delivered by each app on the network. Every use case is given a value on Aprecomm’s patented HISense (Happiness Index Sense), which is based on various weighted metrics including latency, packet loss tolerance, bandwidth, application statistics, and network parameters. This is then cross-referenced with each application’s unique performance tolerances, allowing Aprecomm’s agentic AI platform to make real-time network optimisation adjustments without human intervention.
In addition to real-time network adjustments, the platform uses AI and machine learning models to learn over time, identifying usage patterns and recognising variations, helping to predict and mitigate traffic concerns before they arise. In this way, the platform manages the network autonomously, not only improving customer experience but also reducing operating costs for the ISP.
Differentiating service with QoE
The shift from QoS to QoE represents a fundamental change in how network performance is evaluated and managed. Minimum service level are no longer accepted by customers, who are increasingly looking for better, more intuitive, and more fulfilling experiences. By embracing a user-centric approach, QoE-based approach to network monitoring, ISPs can differentiate themselves in a competitive market and continue to scale autonomously as user network demands grow increasingly complex.
Read more about the future of network performance monitoring with Aprecomm’s whitepaper ‘Beyond QoS: Why QoE is the Future of Internet Performance Monitoring’.
