Accelerating service creation and deployment in mobile networks

Future mobile networks should be built on the foundation of open programmable networking and software radio technology that is capable of responding to the specific radio, mobility and quality of service needs of wireless service providers. We describe the design, implementation and evaluation of a programmable architecture capable of profiling, composing and deploying wireless and mobile network services. We introduce a number of new mobile services as proof of concept using network programmability and service creation. First, we describe `multi-handoff access networks´, which are capable of simultaneously supporting multiple styles of handoff over the same physical access network infrastructure. Next, we discuss `reflective handoff services´, which allow mobile devices to roam across heterogeneous access networks. Finally, we describe the notion of a programmable MAC, which supports the composition of new MAC services at run-time. We believe that programmable mobile networks with their capability to dynamically create new mobile services on-demand will accelerate the pace of innovation in wireless and mobile networking and computing