Strategies for fast scanning and handovers in WiMAX/802.16

In WiMAX/IEEE 802.16 with mobility support, scanning for an available channel by a mobile station, at start up or when about to perform a handover must be done promptly in order to reduce delays in network access. We propose strategies that a mobile station can use to reduce the time required for scanning operations while attempting to establish network connectivity or perform a handover between neighboring base stations. We model and simulate an area of WiMAX coverage using real-world mobility trace data and show that there are strategies that reduce the time required for scanning operations significantly.