Maximizing Network Stability in a Mobile WiMax/802.16 Mesh Centralized Scheduling

WiMax/802.16 mesh network is an emerging infrastructure that offers a cost-effective deployment for high-capacity wireless broadband access to the backhaul network. Recently, mobility in WiMax/802.16 based mesh networks has been discussed through the IEEE 802.16e standard. Hence, mesh nodes need no longer be stationary, and as a result they will be powered from energy limited batteries. In such networks, radio frequency RF-links become vulnerable to breakage due to nodes mobility and nodes are condemned to failure when their battery is depleted. Adopting this deployment strategy requires a mechanism for selecting the most stable routing paths (with the highest RF-links and nodes availability). In this paper, we develop a mathematical model that considers RF-link and node characteristics in such mesh networks and maximizes the network stability.Namely, our model takes into account the interference caused by adjacent RF-links as well as nodes mobility and energy.Results show that selecting most stable paths augments the longevity of the network´s time of operation which in turn leads to a higher data delivery and more satisfied clients.