Cross-layer design for resource allocation in 3G wireless networks and beyond

Cross-layer design approaches are critical for efficient utilization of the scarce radio resources with QoS provisioning in the third-generation wireless networks and beyond. Better system performance can be obtained from information exchanges across protocol layers, which may not be available in the traditional layering architecture. This article provides an overview of cross-layer design approaches for resource allocation in 3G CDMA networks, summarizes state-of-the-art research results, and suggests further research issues. In addition, a cross-layer design approach for real-time video over time-varying CDMA channels is proposed, where link layer resource allocation benefits from information in both the application and physical layers. Simulations results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.