A measurement-based prioritization scheme for handovers in mobile cellular networks

A method of improving the quality of service in mobile cellular systems based on prioritization of handover requests is presented. The objective is to improve perceived quality of cellular service by minimizing both the probability of forced termination of ongoing calls due to handover failures and the degradation in spectrum utilization. A model based on a multiple-priority nonpreemptive queuing discipline is developed. New calls are blocked if all channels are occupied. Handover requests are queued such that as soon as a channel is available, it is offered to the mobile subscriber with the measurement results closest to the minimum acceptable power level for communication. Service rate is given by channel occupancy time distribution and is assumed to be exponential. The performance of a cellular system employing the proposed handover policy is evaluated analytically and by simulation, and results are compared to those obtained when the cellular system employs nonprioritized call handling and first-in/first-out queuing discipline. This provides lower probability of forced termination and less call blocking, less reduction in traffic, and less delay