A mobile-IP based mobility system for wireless metropolitan area networks

The real potential of broadband wireless networks lies with mobility. A hot debate is centered on building metropolitan area networks using WiMAX technology based on the IEEE 802.16 standards. Good mobility management schemes enable it to become the disruptive solution that fulfills the promises of ubiquitous computing with broadband access everywhere that was left unsatisftable with the Wi-Fi and 3G cellular solutions. The wide area coverage and co-existence of multiple wireless access technologies pose a challenge to mobility in the metropolitan network. Complications arise from the hierarchical structure of the network and the seamless handoff requirement to maintain steady streaming media coverage without interruption. It also stems from the lack of cellular type infrastructure to support fast moving users. We study the issues associated with providing mobility in a wireless metropolitan network. We propose a mobility management scheme based on the integration of hierarchical micro-mobility, fast handoff and vertical handoff It is demonstrated that this scheme can perform well under traffic loads. The network is subjected to an application that provides public health informatics services to the metropolitan area. These experimental results can provide suggestion on how to construct the next generation wireless networks.