Joint radio resource management through vertical handoffs in 4G networks

The goal of handoffs in a 4G wireless network is not only to keep the data traffic from being disrupted due to user mobility, but also to switch the connection to the network which best satisfies users' requirements. In this work, we propose a scheme which dynamically switches a mobile user's connection between different access networks. In each handoff, a user will adjust its bandwidth requirement according to the utilization of the current access network. A profitability function is established to evaluate the profits gained from a handoff and to select the target network accordingly. Through vertical handoffs, traffic load will be balanced among the access networks and radio resources will be efficiently utilized. Our simulation result shows that the scheme will effectively decrease call blocking and dropping rate. System throughput and users' experience will also be improved. © 2006 IEEE.link_to_subscribed_fulltex