Handover performance in mobile WIMAX networks

Abstract: WIMAX is Wireless Interoperability for Microwave Access. It is a telecommunication technology that provides wireless data over long distances in several ways, from point-to-point links to full mobile cellular type access. The main consideration of Mobile WiMAX is to achieve seamless handover such that there is no loss of data. In WiMAX both mobile station (MS) and base station (BS) scans the neighboring base stations for selecting the best base station for a potential handover. Two types of handovers in WiMAX are: Hard handover (break before make) and Soft handover (make before break). To avoid data loss during handover we have considered soft handovers this research topic. We have proposed a technique to select a base station for potential soft handover in WiMAX. We have developed a base station selection procedure that will optimize the soft handover such that there is no data loss; handover decision is taken quickly and thus improving overall handover performance. We will compare the quality of service with hard handover and soft handover. We have analyzed the proposed technique with an existing scheme for soft handover in WiMAX with simulation results.

Keywords: WiMAX, Handover, BER, FBSS, MDHO