Design and evaluation of signaling protocols for mobility management in an integrated IP environment

In the future mobile network, satellites will operate alongside cellular networks in order to provide seamless connectivity irrespective of the location of the user. Such a service scenario requires that the next generation of mobility management (MM) procedures are able to ensure terminal and user mobility on a global scale. This paper considers how the principles of Mobile-IP can be used to develop MM procedures for a heterogeneous access network, comprizing of satellite and cellular elements, connected to an IP core network. Initially, the system architecture is described. This is followed by a discussion of issues related to MM, where location, address and handover management are considered. A description of the signaling protocols for macro-mobility using Mobile-IP is then presented, emphasizing the need to minimize the change to the existing access network procedures. Finally, the performance of the protocols is analyzed in terms of the additional signaling time required for registration and handover. 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.