An agent-based perspective to handover management in 4G networks

In 3G or earlier generation networks handovers are usually initiated and decided by the base station, on the basis of measurements of RSS or SNR received by the terminal, cell congestion, terminal speed etc. In 4G, due to the diversity of available radio access services, additional factors, for example user profile, application requirements, and terminal device capabilities, need also to be taken into account. We propose an agent‐based architecture that determines the timing and target network for handovers in a 4G network setting. The capabilities of the architecture are provided as a value‐added service on top of network operators' wireless access infrastructure. Network selection spans both wireless access and core routing services and is performed by user agents executing in the network side. In order to deal with trust issues we study the integration of the regulatory authority in the architecture. A performance study of the architecture's impact on handover latency is provided through a simulation system. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.