QoS-Aware Network-supported Architecture to Distribute Application Flows over Multiple Network Interfaces for B3G Users

Users in the Beyond-Third-Generation (B3G) wireless system expect to receive ubiquitous communication services with customised quality-of-service (QoS) commitments for different applications, preferably in away as transparent as possible. Ideally, flows belonging to diverse applications can be automatically and optimally distributed (or handed off) among the most appropriate access networks for multihomed users. To contribute to realising this vision, we propose a novel architecture to achieve QoS-aware policy-based flow handoffs for multihomed users, especially those equipped with more than a single personal device. In this architecture, advanced network intelligence enables a personal gateway to handle flow distributions dynamically for all the devices behind it according to the applications’ QoS requirements and the current available network resources. The essential procedures in this Q. Wang (B) · R. Atkinson · J. Dunlop Mobile Communications Group, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, G11XW, UK e-mail: [email protected] R. Atkinson e-mail: [email protected] J. Dunlop e-mail: [email protected] T. Hof · E. Robert TAI Laboratory, Thales Communications S. A., 92704 Colombes, Paris, France T. Hof e-mail: [email protected] E. Robert e-mail: [email protected] F. Filali Mobile Communications Department, Institut Eurecom, Nice, France e-mail: [email protected] L. Aginako Department of Strategy and Technology, Euskatel S. A., Bilbao, Spain e-mail: [email protected]