SWiFT: A Novel Architecture for Seamless Wireless Internet for Fast Trains

It has been a challenge to support high speed (above 200 kms/hr - freeways and high speed train) mobile user with broadband data communication. Research community efforts are underway to develop wide area networks (wireless access and optical backbone) to support broadband to high speed vehicular users. ITU-R has proposed the International Mobile Telecommunication-Advanced (IMT-Advanced) technical requirements for supporting such usage scenarios. IEEE 802.16 m based (WiMAX) standard is working to meet the requirements of IMT-Advanced proposal. In this paper we have proposed a novel technology referred as Seamless Wireless internet for Fast Trains (SWiFT). In particular SWiFT architecture relies on a fast handoff mechanism by layer 2 (L2) triggering using a confidence factor (a probabilistic value evaluated by high speed movement and signal strength, to decide handoff). An interface gateway (IGW) that enables interoperability between WLAN (802.11e) and WiMAX 802.16 m is being designed to support the above handoff. Extensive simulation results by NS-2 shows that, SWiFT handoff latency is 52% less than mobile IPv6 (MIPv6) proposed by IETF.