Scheduling algorithm based on sender buffer backlog for real-time application in mobile packet networks

The demand for high-speed data communication and the use of real-time applications in mobile networks is becoming increasingly high and communication systems that specialise in downlink packet transfer are being developed and deployed. In these high-speed downlink packet networks, scheduling at the base station is one of the key technologies to accomplish such high speed. A scheduling algorithm that is based on the proportional fair criterion is widely used in commercial networks, but the problem with such an algorithm is that it does not schedule real-time application traffic efficiently. This paper proposes a new scheduling algorithm for real-time applications that does not need substantial change in the existing system and coexists efficiently with the proportional fair criterion. We evaluate the characteristics of the proposed algorithm through computer simulation and show that the efficiency of the proposed algorithm is better than that of existing algorithms.