SEAMLESS HANDOVER / INTEROPERABILITY BETWEEN WIMAX AND WIFI

Abstract

In present communication scenarios, there are multidimensional technologies working around the globe, like WiMax, GSM and WiFi. Each one of these technologies from multi vendors has different specifications and protocols. These variations make them incompatible with each other. The need of today is to evolve a system that can utilize entire available communication infrastructures for establishing a reliable communication on the day of need. In order to bring compatibility/interoperability among these technologies, we need to establish a single platform. This will not only bring all the technologies under one umbrella but will also enable the users to choose between variety of different technologies based on their availability and Quality of Service. The need of establishing such compatibility was pronounced after 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami which devastated the communication infrastructure in their respective areas. The partnership between the public safety communications organizations and industry manufacturers under the umbrella of Project 25, initiated a step of interoperability for government or private sector law enforcement agencies, ambulance services and crisis management centers, to communicate more effectively with each other when out of their coverage area. Interoperability provides an attractive solution to communicate with the infrastructure of different communication system at low or no signal strength of the parent system. The idea of this research is not to limit this global cause to only public safety communication systems but this is to be extended to commercial wireless communication systems. This MS research targets at establishing seamless handover /interoperability between WiFi and WiMAX, this involves a vertical handover between the two technologies. The trigger for this handover will be the available signal strength of one or other proposed network. This implies that if the signal strength of one network goes down and signal strength of 2nd proposed network is available, the user will be handover its call to 2nd network having infrastructure / signal strength without dropping the ongoing call.To achieve this objective, Wi-Fi and WiMax environments has been simulated in Lab view which will act as the foundation of the Interoperability process. With the successful simulation of these environments, system identifier was developed and followed by culmination into the formulation of a common modulation technique to achieve the seamless handover / interoperability.