Low Latency Handover and Roaming Using Security Context Transfer for Heterogeneous Wireless and Cellular Networks

One main objective of this paper is to propose novel mechanisms to support low latency handover at authentication level using network selection, security context management and mobility and handover management in future telecom ecosystem to allow ubiquitous access to the Internet and services to any individual on the move. This access should be possible anytime anywhere while ensuring the right level of security to the end users as well to the networks. The telecom ecosystem will be composed by a set of heterogeneous wireless and cellular networks and user terminal capable to connect and communicate with any of heterogeneous wireless and cellular networks. In this context, the main issues are to resolve the seamless selection and association to a network at initialization, the user movement detection and communication degradation, the seamless discovery and selection of alternative network and finally the seamless handover to the an alternative network to support the user seamless service delivery during mobility. Using GIS information model the mobile terminal location prediction is achieved with the access networks associated to that location, and also using security context management between the mobile terminal and home access network, home access networks with the future visiting networks the objective of security, network selection and mobility is obtained in the proposed mechanisms. The technologies that are under consideration in this work are WLAN, WIMAX and 3G.