An efficient rate adaptation scheme in wireless mobile networks

A new rate adaptation algorithm named the average degradation degree fair adaptation algorithm is defined and proposed for wireless networks with mobile hosts. It uses a novel quality of service index that expresses the degradation degree suffered by data packet flows in terms of bandwidth. The aim of the proposed algorithm is to distribute the effects of QoS degradation fairly among the cells visited by mobile hosts. The proposed algorithm has been compared with three schemes studied in the literature: fair adaptation; minimum adaptation; average fair adaptation. The performances are evaluated inside the single cell (intra-cell) and among the cells (inter-cell) in which the mobile host moves. Simulations results show that a reduction of the QoS degradation of flows and a preservation of inter- and intra-cell fairness properties are obtained, adding only a slight control overhead.