Mobile Multimedia Metropolitan Area Network

This paper introduces our project named MM-MAN (Mobile Multimedia Metropolitan Area Network) aiming to provide high-bit rate packet transfer to fast-moving terminals in a micro-cellular network. One of the advanced services assumed in MM-MAN is a LAN extension to the cellular network. This paper first presents advantages of MM-MAN compared with a mobile network constructed with a double tier-cell configuration. To support a fast move of terminal, we propose LMC (Logical Macro Cell) concept and parallel polling mechanism. Adjacent cells are grouped into a multicast-based LMC at which the same data packets destined to a mobile user buffered to eliminate a re-transmission delay. Moreover, this LMC is not static but switched over together with a change of mobile user to a new cell. In the wireless section, instead of contending for channel of a new cell that causes unbounded delay, polls are sent from neighboring cells to reserve channels for mobile users at these cells. We call it a parallel polling mechanism. Our simulation results reveal that the parallel polling and dynamic LMC work well to offer smooth high- data rate to fast mobile users with a moving speed up to 250 km/h in the microcellular environment without any obstacle.