The effect of joint allocation policies on preference-triggered vertical handoffs

A vertical handoff describes the event when a mobile terminal changes its association from one type of wireless access technology to another, whether or not the networks involved belong to one provider. Of the many intricacies yet to be understood in heterogeneous wireless networks is the exact effect of vertical handoffs due to different triggers. In this paper, an attempt is made to dichotomize the interaction of preference-triggered vertical handoffs and joint allocation policies. A general framework for evaluating allocation policies in heterogeneous environments is described. Models for disjoint and joint resource management are developed. Adequate admission control policies are also presented. It is found that, even though a joint allocation policy does enhance service delivery to new-call requests, handoff-call requests may undergo slight negative effects.