MSCHF algorithm for minimizing signaling costs and enhancing vertical handover efficiency in wireless communications networks

The vertical handover (VHO) is an essential part of heterogeneous wireless networks, which allows User Equipment (UEs) to roam among different radio access technologies (RATs) and connect to a network that best satisfies their needs, such as wireless local area network (WLAN) and 5G. Many VHO research works in the literature have been proposed to provide a seamless UE transition between multiple RATs, considering packet loss, delay, and throughput parameters. However, signaling cost and handover failure as vital factors in providing seamless VHO have not been considered thoroughly, particularly between WLAN and 5G. Therefore, this paper presents a comprehensive performance evaluation for a new algorithm for Minimizing Signaling Cost and Handover Failure (MSCHF) for co-located WLAN and 5G networks. Through numerical, mathematical, and simulation analyses, MSCHF achieves a 40% reduction in signaling cost, a 50% decrease in handover failure rate, and significant improvements in buffer consumption, resource allocation time, and handoff decision time compared to traditional methods. It is shown that the proposed MSCHF algorithm outperforms the non-MSCHF algorithm in minimizing signaling cost and probability of handover failure. These results highlight MSCHF’s potential to advance wireless network management by optimizing critical performance metrics.