Performance Analysis of the Real-time Capabilities of Coordinated Centralized Scheduling in 802.16 Mesh Mode

The IEEE 802.16-2004 standard specifies wireless broad-band networks with optional support for multi-hop mesh operation (mesh mode). The provision and support of high-quality real-time services such as voice over IP is crucial, if wireless networks based on the IEEE 802.16-2004 standard are to challenge wired network services. In this paper we investigate and identify critical factors in enabling real-time services in 802.16 based networks operating in the mesh mode. We present an analytical performance analysis and a simulation study investigating the coordinated centralized scheduling mechanism as specified in the 802.16-2004 standard. Our results show that the scalability and efficiency of such mesh networks with respect to real-time services are at stake. Our results, moreover, aid in the adjustment of critical system parameters allowing for optimized network performance.