A network-centric approach for access and interface selection in heterogeneous wireless environments

In this paper, we introduce a network-based approach for access and interface selection (AIS) in the context of resource management in heterogeneous wireless environments (UMTS, WLAN and DVB-T). We focus on the optimization of resource utilization, while ensuring acceptable quality of service (QoS) provision to the end users. Our objective is to optimally manage the overall system resources and minimize the possibility of QoS handovers (non-mobility handovers). The adopted architecture applies to typical heterogeneous environments and network entities (Access Routers) are enhanced with extra functionalities. We propose an AIS algorithm that exploits the multihoming concept and globally manages network resources at both radio access and IP backbone networks. The algorithm can estimate near-optimal solutions in real time and we also introduce a novel triggering policy. We present simulation results of typical scenarios that demonstrate the advantages of our approach. System performance metrics, derived from the simulations, show minimum degradations in high load and congestion situations. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.