The importance of network selection for wireless networks, is to facilitate users with various personal wireless devices to access their desired services via a range of available radio access networks. The inability of these networks to provide broadband data service applications to users poses a serious challenge in the wireless environment. Network Optimization has therefore become necessary, so as to accommodate the increasing number of users’ service application demands while maintaining the required quality of services. To achieve that, the need to incorporate intelligent and fast mechanism as a solution to select the best value network for the user arises. This paper provides an intelligent network selection strategy based on the user- and network-valued metrics to suit their preferences when communicating in multi-access environment. A user-driven network selection strategy that employs Multi-Access Service Selection Vertical Handover Decision Algorithm (MASS-VHDA) via three interfaces; Wi-Fi, WiMAX and LTE-A is proposed, numerically evaluated and simulated. The results from the performance analysis demonstrate some improvement in the QoS and network blocking probability to satisfy user application requests for multiple simultaneous services.
Radio access selection approaches in heterogeneous wireless networks
