PMIPv6-based make-before-break handover for real-time services in 3GPPs Evolved Packet Core

To provide an always best connected service to the end user, the network provider needs to make best use of the various access networks available to the end-user. The infiltration of multi-mode terminals in wireless networks and the introduction of the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) in release 8 of the 3^rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) specifications make a make-before-break handover an attractive feature to support in the core network, especially for real-time services which have stringent service continuity and packet loss requirements. Proxy Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (PMIPv6) supports multi-homing where a multi-mode device can connect to more than one access network simultaneously. In this paper we extend the standard multi-homing support of PMIPv6 so that a make-before-break handover can be achieved in the EPC PMIPv6 adoption. A test-bed prototype of the scheme is implemented and testing is performed using IPTV as a model service for real time services. The results show that the proposed scheme outperforms the default PMIPv6 scheme in terms of packet loss and handover delay.