IP Based User Mobility in Heterogeneous Wireless Satellite-Terrestrial Networks

Abstract

Thinking of future mobile communication from a user acceptance point of view, people are getting more and more used to personalised equipment accommodated for their own special needs. On the other hand a number of different access network (segment) solutions are currently used on local platforms, which increases the need of a transparent interworking between the access networks. In order to extend access areas not only beyond segment coverage, but also to collectively mobile networks like passengers in an aircraft, new network concepts are necessary. Especially such collectively mobile networks are likely to cross coverage areas. Practical user mobility solutions are proposed for a heterogeneous network, comprising of satellite and terrestrial access networks connected to an IP core network. Different communication scenarios are investigated in support of IPv4 and IPv6 operating on user platforms and over access segments. The paper concludes with a description of a laboratory testbed, which has been assembeld in order to verify the presented procedures, together with performance measurements of the handover algorithms during an in field vehicular trial.