Building blocks enabling high-performance switching in wireless multihop networks

Abstract

Future mobile ad hoc networks are expected to provide integrated high-speed data and interactive audio/video services. While this task is non-trivial in a single-hop environment (e.g. cellular 3G communications), it is even more challenging in a multihop scenario, i.e. in mashed 4G+ ad hoc networks. In such systems, services that demand for a low end-to-end latency, for instance voice telephony, are difficult to support. Starting with an in-depth analysis of the shortcomings of current system architectures, a novel architecture for a technically feasible system is outlined with emphasis on some of its major building blocks. The system we envision is able to provide quality-of-service guarantees based on a connection-oriented approach. This paper focuses on the switching and radio resource management components of such a system and their interaction with an appropriate routing protocol.