In this paper, we characterize the throughput of a broadcast network with n receivers using rateless codes with block size K. We assume that the underlying channel is a Markov modulated erasure channel that is i.i.d. across users, but can be correlated in time. We characterize the system throughput asymptotically in n. Specifically, we explicitly show how the throughput behaves for different values of the coding block size K as a function of n, as n approaches infinity. Under the more restrictive assumption of memoryless channels, we are able to provide a lower bound on the maximum achievable throughput for any finite values of K and n. Using simulations we show the tightness of the bound with respect to system parameters n and K, and find that its performance is significantly better than the previously known lower bound.
Yang et al. REF focused on a similar problem (system throughput as a function of the number of receivers) in time correlated erasure channels.
Throughput of rateless codes over broadcast erasure channels
MobiHoc '12
Computer Science Mathematics