Handoff traffic characterization in cellular networks under nonclassical arrivals and service time distributions

The phenomenal growth in the subscriber population has necessitated the accurate dimensioning and performance analysis of cellular networks. Classically, cellular networks have been analyzed using Poisson call arrivals and negative exponential channel holding times. However, these assumptions may not be valid for modern networks providing heterogeneous services and serving users with highly varied mobility. In this paper, we propose a moment-based approach for analyzing cellular networks under more generalized arrival processes and more generalized channel holding-time distributions. We present a model for accurately characterizing the handoff traffic offered by a cell to its neighbor in a simple two-cell scenario. We derive this handoff traffic for two different channel holding-time distributions. Our two-cell model easily lends itself to being used as a building block for analyzing more general cellular network layouts. We illustrate the accuracy of our analysis using comparison with simulation results