Access Selection with Anticipatory Vertical Handover for Multi-Access Networks

This paper presents the study of the Access Selection (AS) problem in a multi-access wireless network. The contributions of this paper could be classified in two groups. Firstly, we extend previous investigations in terms of performance results, regarding a system-level dynamic evaluation. Performance indicators like coverage, SNR, rate and offered traffic load are included as algorithm criteria. An AS algorithm based on theoretical throughput estimation is also evaluated. Secondly, we propose a sub-optimum access selection solution, in which the arriving user as well as a few ongoing users are (re) assigned according to the new systems' conditions, following the specific optimization criterion. This solution selects candidate users to a vertical handover and anticipates the user context transfer. The approaches presented here assume a generic system modeling and user throughput characteristics as performance indicator. Our simulation campaigns could demonstrate that the access selection with anticipatory vertical handover provides gains about 300% in the 10th percentile of the user session throughput.