A consensus Decision Process for Network Selection in Converged Wireless Networks

The next generation of wireless network consists of different radio access technology (RAT), providing network services to the subscribers. In this network environment, mobile users have different service request, network preferences, and smart mobile devices equipped with multiple network interfaces that support different traffic flows. In this scenario, choosing the most suitable network for the user application is a challenge. Selecting suitable access technology for single service call has been widely studied, however, less attention has been given to the selection of a single network that can satisfy the aggregation of multiple user traffics. Such selection process requires an efficient algorithm that can determine the access technology with the capability to support the requirements for combined user traffics. This paper therefore proposes a consensus decision approach for access network selection in converged wireless network. The solution is implemented in Matlab simulation environment. The implementation measures an achieved consensus threshold level and it is compared with a default threshold value. When the total consensus measured value is higher than the default value, the RAT with the highest ranking in the collective solution is considered as the best choice for the multiple traffic. However, when the total consensus value is less than the default value, the calls are individually admitted to the available access network that meets the quality of service (QoS) requirements of each call. The work therefore, provides an extension of the application of consensus decision process for access network selection in Heterogeneous wireless network.