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Is Multipath TCP (MPTCP) Beneficial for Video Streaming over DASH?

HTTP-based adaptive protocols dominate today's video streaming over the Internet, and operate using multiple quality levels that video players request one segment at a time. Despite their popularity, studies have shown that performance of video streams still suffers from stalls, quality switches and startup delay. In wireless networks, it is well-known that high variability in network bandwidth affects video streaming. MultiPath TCP (MPTCP) is an emerging paradigm that could offer significant benefits to video streaming by combining bandwidth on multiple network interfaces, in particular for mobile devices that typically support both WiFi and cellular networks. In this paper, we explore whether MPTCP always benefits mobile video streaming. Our experimental study on video streaming using two wireless interfaces yields mixed results. While beneficial to user experience under ample and stable bandwidth, MPTCP may not offer any advantage under some network conditions. We find that when additional bandwidth on the secondary path is not sufficient to sustain an upgrade in video quality, it is generally better not to use MPTCP. We also identify that MPTCP can harm user experience when an unstable secondary path is added to the stable primary path.