Genetic algorithm for vertical handover (GAfVH) in a heterogeneous networks

Abstract

The fifth generation (5G) wireless system will deal with the growing demand of new multimedia and broadband application. The 5G network architecture is based on heterogeneous Radio Access Technologies (RATs). In such implementation the Vertical handover is a key issue. Up till now, systems are using simple mechanisms to make handover decision, based on the evaluation of the Received Signal Strength (RSS). In some cases these mechanisms are not efficient. This paper presents a new vertical handover algorithm based on Genetic Algorithm (GAfVH). It aims to reduce the number of unnecessary handovers, and optimizes the system performance. We compare our simulation results to the Received Signal Strength (RSS) based method. The results show that the number of handovers decreases. Moreover, we demonstrate that the network selection result can differ from an application to another.