Energy impact of heterogeneous wireless networks on mobile devices

Abstract

The last decades are characterized by a rapid development in the area of wireless communications, including both Radio Access Technologies (RATs) and mobile terminals. Mobile terminals are equipped with multiple interfaces, while there is a variety of heterogeneous wireless networks that users can be connected to. However, the continuous switching of interfaces or the adhesion to a single interface, can result in the depletion of a mobile phone’s battery. In the current work, we study the problem of energy depletion in smartphones under various access technologies and applications. In particular, a testbed was implemented and real measurements were collected concerning the energy efficiency of different access technologies and different users’ applications. The experimental results enlighten the impact of the access network and the mobile applications on the battery life of mobile devices.