Assessment of Network Quality of Experience for Video Streaming Applications in Port Harcourt

Video streaming has emerged as the dominant application driving mobile data traffic growth in Nigeria, and the quality of experience delivered by telecommunications networks for streaming services is increasingly important to subscriber satisfaction and operator competitive differentiation. This study assesses the quality of experience for video streaming applications on mobile networks in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria. A measurement study was conducted using standardized video streaming quality assessment tools on MTN, Airtel, and Glo 4G networks across fifteen locations in the Port Harcourt metropolitan area. Metrics captured included initial buffering delay, buffering ratio during playback, video resolution stability, and a composite quality of experience score derived from the ITU-T P.1203 standard. Tests were conducted using three popular streaming platforms: YouTube, Netflix, and a local Nigerian streaming service. Results indicate that average initial buffering delays exceeded 4 seconds at 42% of test locations, with the worst performance recorded in the densely built Trans-Amadi and Rumuola zones. Buffering events during playback affected 31% of test sessions on Glo and 24% on Airtel. Resolution stability was highest on MTN, which maintained HD-quality streaming at 68% of test locations. Adaptive bitrate streaming effectively mitigated some quality degradations but could not compensate for network instability at the lowest signal strength locations. Recommendations include targeted base station upgrades at identified poor-experience zones and negotiation of content delivery network caching agreements with major streaming providers. Keywords: video streaming, quality of experience, mobile network, Port Harcourt, adaptive bitrate.