Performance Analysis and Evaluation of an Analytical Model for Vertical Handoffs in Heterogeneous Networks

Heterogeneous networks are consisted of the networks with different Radio Access Technologies (RAT). Vertical handoffs would be triggered while mobile users moving across two cells implemented different RATs during the session. Thus, some serious problems will be caused due to characteristics of different RATs. Numerous solutions have been proposed to solve these problems. However, most of existing solutions only take into account single traffic, e.g. vertical handoffs (VHO). In this paper, an analytical model is proposed, with which VHO is taken into account, but also new services (NS). Simulation results illustrate that the performance could be significantly improved with the algorithms in the proposed model. Compared with existing strategies, i.e. Signal to Interference and Noise (SINR) and Vertical Handoff Management (VHOM), for NS, the blocking probability could be improved by 33% and 40%, respectively; for VHO, the blocking probability could be improved by 17% and 19%, respectively; and the resource utilization could be improved by approximately 8% and 11%, respectively.