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The network performance is usually assessed by drive tests, where teams of people with specially equipped vehicles physically drive out to test various locations throughout a radio network. However, intelligent and autonomous troubleshooting is considered a crucial enabler for 5G- and 6G-networks. In this paper, we propose an architecture for performing virtual drive tests by facilitating radio-quality data from the user equipment. Our architecture comprises three main components: i) a pattern recognizer that learns a typical pattern for the application from application Key Performance Indicators (KPI); ii) a predictor for mapping network KPI with the application KPI; iii) an anomaly detector that compares the predicted application performance with that of the typical application pattern. In this work, we use a commercial state-of-the-art network optimization tool to collect network and application KPI at different geographical locations and at various times of the day for training an initial learning model. We perform extensive numerical analysis to demonstrate key parameters impacting correct video quality prediction and anomaly detection. We show that the playback time is the single most important parameter affecting the video quality, since video packets are usually buffered ahead of time during the playback. However, radio frequency (RF) performance indicators characterizing the quality of the cellular connection improve the QoE estimation in exceptional cases. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by showing that the mean maximum F1-score of our method is 77%. Finally, the proposed architecture is flexible and autonomous, and it can operate with different user applications as long as the relevant user-based traces are available., Comment: 14 pages, 14 figures

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10922-020-09545-w, Despite remarkable advances, current augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) applications are a largely individual and local experience. Interconnected AR/VR, where participants can virtually interact across vast distances, remains a distant dream. The great barrier that stands between current technology and such applications is the stringent end-to-end latency requirement, which should not exceed 20 ms in order to avoid motion sickness and other discomforts. Bringing AR/VR to the next level to enable immersive interconnected AR/VR will require significant advances towards 5G ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) and a Tactile Internet of Things (IoT). In this article, we articulate the technical challenges to enable a future AR/VR end-to-end architecture, that combines 5G URLLC and Tactile IoT technology to support this next generation of interconnected AR/VR applications. Through the use of IoT sensors and actuators, AR/VR applications will be aware of the environmental and user context, supporting human-centric adaptations of the application logic, and lifelike interactions with the virtual environment. We present potential use cases and the required technological building blocks. For each of them, we delve into the current state of the art and challenges that need to be addressed before the dream of remote AR/VR interaction can become reality., Maria Torres Vega is funded by the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO), grant number 12W4819N. This work has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under contract TEC2017-90034-C2-1-R (ALLIANCE project) that receives funding from FEDER, Peer Reviewed, Postprint (published version)