Network selection in a virtual network operator environment

Abstract

Service offerings of virtual network operators should focus on the needs of distinct groups of users in order to face challenges posed in the saturated telecommunications mass market. Since a virtual operator may hire capacity from a number of host networks with varied characteristics, the selection of an optimal host network according to network attributes, user preferences and QoS requirements results to the provision of services with desirable characteristics adding value for the user. Network selection in such an environment has not been studied as all previous works have focused exclusively on handover decisions in heterogeneous wireless networks. This article describes a network selection method in a virtual operator environment that uses a modified version of TOPSIS to rank alternative networks. The proposed modification enables the inclusion of QoS requirements in the ranking results. The uncertainty of user preferences is handled through the use of linguistic assessments and triangular fuzzy numbers. Simulations conducted show that the proposed approach is effective in deciding the optimum network according to all decision factors. © 2012 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.