Cross-Access Capacity and Performance in B3G Systems

The deployment of next generation networks (NGN) is a high priority for telecommunication operators. Future access networks will be based on a multi-access architecture, in which many independent radio access technologies will collaborate to offer a unified access platform for mobile users. In this scenario, it will be fundamental to control the interactions among the different systems (i.e. networks) in the best possible way. Therefore, it is urgent to develop tools that can assist network engineers in this complex task. This paper presents xCAT (Cross-access Capacity Analysis Tool) a tool that helps in the design and planning of next generation wireless networks. We also include results from a performed analysis focused on two typical situations in future wireless composite access networks: (1) inter-technology user reallocation and (2) network collocation. The experiments assess the impact of these interactions on the overall performance of NGN systems.