Access networks aided network selection procedure for heterogeneous wireless and cellular networks

Abstract

Advances in wireless communication technologies are driving the evolution toward B3G networks to provide rich services at low cost for the end users. These networks consists of wide range coverage with 3G networks, medium range high bandwidth WIMAX network and low range high bandwidth low cost WLAN networks. These networks provide different services in different access networks which are likely operated by different service providers. These networks are intended to provide users different IP based services at any time any where independent of the operating scenarios. Wireless technologies provide extensible service coverage by using adjacent cells, each one containing a radio transceiver known as point of attachment (PoA) in order to serve the mobile nodes (MN) in their coverage areas. MNs may need to change their PoA while moving in order to maintain a suitable radio link quality; this process is called handover. When this mobility is achieved in the same technologies with the same operator, it is called horizontal handover and when it is between different technologies and operators, it is called vertical handover. In order to achieve seamless handovers and hide it to users at the application level, there is a need for changes in the communications management mechanisms on the access networks and the terminals. For example, link layer protocols will need to implement discovery, selection, and link reestablishment mechanisms. Furthermore, IP implements similar ones to allow the MNs acquire new IP configuration and update the location information whenever an IP handover occurs.