A Simulation Framework for Performance Evaluation of Network Selection Algorithms in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Future wireless communication systems will be comprised by the integration of different radio access technologies (RATs), referred to as heterogeneous wireless network (HWN). In this paper, a realistic HWN simulator is proposed to evaluate different network selection algorithms, the main mechanism of joint radio resource management (JRRM). The simulator is designed for an HWN that comprises cellular and wireless local area network radio access technologies. Here, the simulator architecture and the assumed system model are illustrated. Using the simulator, the performance results of the network selection algorithms are generated and then compared against analytical results. The outputs from the simulator provide valuable insights for the design of HWNs.