A mobility-based channel model for wireless systems with adaptive modulation

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a model intended to capture the behavior of the wireless channel at time scales which are related to packet transmission times. In this approach it is assumed that the prime factor affecting data rate selection is the path attenuation. We model the wireless channel using a multistate stochastic process where each state corresponds to the nominal data rate achieved by the station when it uses a particular combination of modulation and coding (i.e., adaptive modulation). Differently from other proposals, in the proposed model state changes are created from mobility assumptions. We illustrate the use of this model with a case study.