Integration and management of Wi-Fi offloading in service provider infrastructures

Abstract

Integration of offloading technologies into mobile network operator's infrastructures that provide heterogeneous access services is a challenging task for mobile operators. A connectivity management platform is a key element for heterogeneous mobile network operators in order to enable optimal offloading. In this study, development and integration of a connectivity management platform that uses a novel multiple attribute decision making algorithms for efficient Wi-Fi Offloading in heterogeneous wireless networks is presented. The proposed platform collects several terminal and network level attributes via infrastructure and client Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and decides the best network access technology to connect for requested users. Through experimentation, we provide details on the platform integration with service provider's network and sensitivity analysis of the multiple attribute decision making algorithm.