QoS based vertical handoff method between UMTS
systems and wireless LAN networks
Sungkwan Jung and Dong-ho Cho
Div. of EE, Dept. of EECS
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
Daejeon, Rep. of Korea
skjung@comis.kaist.ac.kr
Abstract—Future mobile telecom systems will most probably
consist of various radio access networks to utilize various merits.
A typical scenario of these network integrations is an
interworking between UMTS and WLAN network. UMTS
network is one of most prevalent network that can cover wide
area and wireless LAN (WLAN) network is a good and cheep
solution for local high speed data network. Thus, the integration
of these two networks enables users to be satisfied with an
enhanced service coverage and quality. But, the different
characteristics of these integrated networks may degrade the
service quality during the changes of access networks, so called,
handoffs. To minimize the service quality degradations, for
examples, longer handoff delay, more packet losses, decreased
throughput and network disconnection, we proposed a QoS based
vertical handoff scheme for UMTS and WLAN integrated
networks. The main points of our proposed scheme are target cell
searching through the connected access network and QoS based
handoff. Simulation results show that our proposed scheme gives
an increased QoS support during vertical handoffs.
Keywords- UMTS, WLAN, interworking, QoS support handoff
I. INTRODUCTION
Most of people agree that future wireless
telecommunication networks will consist of overlaid various
mobile networks.[1] Due to their different coverage and costs,
various mobile networks have pros. and cons. To enhance a
future mobile telecommunication system, people try to gather
the pros of each mobile network to make heterogeneous
networks interwork as a single wireless mobile network.
UMTS network [2] can cover a wide area and support user
mobility and high speed mobile users. But complex signal
processing technologies to overcome the problem of varying
wireless channel conditions and to support multiple user access
limit the maximum data transmission rate and cause high cost
to use. Wireless LAN networks using IEEE 802.11(a/b/g) [3]
can not cover a wide area but it can support a high speed
transmission rate with very cheep cost. This high speed data
rate can be achieved by simple signal processing and radio
resource control.
The interworking between UMTS networks and Wireless
LAN networks can provide better services to the subscribers.
But these two networks have different characteristics. One is
0-7803-8521-7/04/$20.00 (C) 2004 IEEE
Osok Song
Telecommunication R&D center
Samsung Electronics Co., LTD
Suwon, Rep. of Korea
osok.song@samsung.com
telecommunication network and the other is data
communication network. So, the integration of these two
networks to provide services as a single interworking network
has some difficult problems to solve. Because wireless LAN
network doesn’t have mobility management and fair radio
resource management, wireless LAN networks need some
mobility management functions and radio resource control
functions.
In UMTS networks, GTP based mobility management is
provided. [2] But this mobility management scheme is a local
mobility management. It can support the user mobility within
its own network and can not support the user mobility between
other communication networks, such as public Internet. Thus,
IETF Mobile IP protocol is used to support macro mobility
management. [4] Using this Mobile IP protocol based mobility
management scheme can make UMTS and wireless LAN
networks easily interwork each other. In addition, the
interworking network architecture will be based on IP protocol
which enhances the interoperability and flexibility. But, IP
protocol and Mobile IP protocol were not basically designed to
support the real-time applications and user mobility. So, during
the handoff between wireless LAN networks and UMTS
systems, users will experience the service discontinuity, such as
long service time gap or network disconnection. Besides this
service discontinuity, the different service characteristics of
these interworked networks may degrade the Quality-of-
Services (QoSs).
In this paper, we research the problems that might occur
during handoffs between the interworked networks, especially
QoS supporting method. In section II, we briefly describe the
interworking standardization works of UMTS and wireless
LAN and the QoS supporting problem when users handoff
between two networks. And, we mention our proposed solution
that can enhance service quality during handoffs in section III.
Then, we show that our proposed scheme can provide the
enhanced handoff performance by simulations in section IV,
and conclude this paper in section V.
II. STANDARDIZATION OF UMTS-WLAN INTERWORKING
3G Partnership Project (3GPP), which is a world wide
specification group that considers the GSM and UMTS
standards, has been studying the interworking architecture of
UMTS systems and wireless LAN. After some year works, the
basic interworking architecture shown in Fig. 1. was
established.[5] When the UE tries to connect UMTS system
through wireless LAN, it is connected to GPRS networks via
WLAN Access Gateway (WAG) which manages access
network security, accounting and routing functions. Through
the WAG, UE’s access is connected to the Packet Data
Gateway (PDG) that controls the major functions of the access
through wireless LAN, such as IP address allocations, tunnel
establishments, routing managements and etc. But, upto now,
the interworking scenario concerning how users can access
UMTS networks through wireless LAN has been studied. This
access standard just includes interworking architecture,
authentication and authorization methods, billing and account
methods, and basic requirements on the UE and interworking
networks. After the establishment of this basic access method,
the user mobility support method that concerns the handoff
between these two networks for service continuity has been
researched. The fundamental working assumption about the
inter-network handoff standards is to use IETF Mobile IP
protocol for supporting user mobility between UMTS systems
and wireless LAN.
Figure 1. Interworking network architecture between UMTS and WLAN
Considering a vertical handoff based on this interworking
architecture, we have a serious problem that it is difficult to
support a seamless service during inter-AN handoff. The
service interworking architecture and procedures, the way to
provide the network and user securities, the control scheme for
minimizing performance decrease caused by different service
data rate, and the interworking network detection and selection
methods are typical problems and to be solved to provide the
stable and continuous services to users.
Among these many problems, we focus on the control
scheme for providing continuous services to users. When there
is a user movement, it is necessary to control the data service
rate. Especially, when the user is handoffed from wireless LAN
to UMTS network, affordable QoS control scheme is needed
for continuous and seamless service support because there is a
high probability of network congestion or service quality
decrease due to data rate difference between high data rate of
wireless LAN and medium to low data rate of UMTS. Though
it can not always possible to support high data rate services in
UMTS unlike wireless LAN, using a suitable QoS control
mechanism may give smooth service continuity to subscribers.
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But UE can not know whether there is any cell that can
support UE’s required service rate until UE connects to the
target network because this handoff is an inter access network
(AN) handoff. If UEs try to handoff between different ANs
without these information, they experience service
discontinuities, performance decreases, and service delays. To
solve these QoS support problems, UEs need to know QoS
support information in target networks before they actually
initiate handoff.
III. PROPOSED SEAMLESS QOS HANDOFF SCHEME
In this section, we propose a new handoff method that can
support UE’s required QoS during inter-network handoff for
the UMTS and wireless LAN interworking. The fundamental
idea of our proposed scheme is to search QoS supportable cells
or APs through already connected wireless AN. Before
executing a vertical handoff, a UE gathers IDs of target cells or
APs using target wireless interface, and then sends this
information through the network that the UE already has a
connection to negotiate the QoS availability. Thus, we can
increase the success rate of vertical handoff and minimize the
handoff time delay until the UE gets the required QoS services
due to the advanced QoS negotiation and resource preparation.
A. Functional requirements for entities
Functional requirements for entities to support seamless
QoS handoff are described below.
1) GGSN and PDG
• Data forwarding function of inter GGSN (and PDG)
There is no data forwarding function between GGSNs,
which causes long IP service delays after the changes of ANs
due to the time required for reconfiguration of IP parameters.
This inter-GGSN data forwarding function can eliminate the
necessity of IP mobility support for vertical handoff.
2) WAG
• Inter SGSN handoff-like data forwarding function
• Management of mapping table between AP/Node-B ID
and SGSN/WAG
To adopt our proposed vertical handoff procedure, it is
required for WAG to provide more functions. Inter SGSN data
forwarding function is required to minimize the packet loss
during a vertical handoff. And to adopt our proposed scheme,
WAG has to maintain mapping information between AP/cell
ID and SGSN/WAG. Based on this mapping table, WAG can
find the target SGSN or WAG to forward the request when it
receives a vertical handoff information request from a UE.
3) UE
• WLAN/UTRAN layer 2 trigger function
It is needed to initiate layer 3 handoff procedure as soon as
the UE detects/decides layer 2 handoff. Previous layer 3
handoff procedure is initiated when IP mobility support layer
detects the change of IP network, but this IP network detection
consumes too much time after an IP network change. Thus,
layer 2 triggering function is required to minimize the time 15. The WAG sends the packet transfer context to the
delay and to enhance the seamless property of vertical handoff. SGSN for context management.
16. The SGSN forwards the received context to the RNC.
B. Seamless QoS handoff procedure
1. When a UE decides to perform a vertical handoff, it
gathers a neighboring cell information by receiving
cell broadcast information. Thereafter, it sends a
Vertical Handoff Info Request message that contains
the received cell information such as target network ID,
received cell ID and signal strength, and UE’s QoS
requirement, to WAG.
2. When the WAG receives this message from UE, the
WAG forwards it to the corresponding SGSNs that
control the reported cell ID according to the mapping
table.
3. After receiving the message, SGSN examines the
message to identify the RNC corresponding to the
reported cell ID, and sends the message to the RNC.
4. The RNC decides whether it can support the QoS
requirement of UE if the UE is connected to it. And,
according to the decision, it generates the response
message that contains the possible QoS profile and
transfers it to the SGSN.
5. The SGSN gathers the response messages and
transfers them to WAG.
6. The WAG integrates the received cell information
messages into Vertical Handoff Info Response
message and transfers it to the UE.
7. After receiving the response message, the UE decides
the handoff target cell ID that can support its required
QoS profile. And then, it really tries to handoff to the
specific target cell by sending Vertical Handoff
Request message.
8. The WAG sends a Relocation Request message to the
corresponding SGSN to inform a vertical handoff.
9. The SGSN forwards this message to the RNC that
controls the target cell.
Figure 2. Signaling chart for our proposed QoS handoff scheme
10. When the RNC receives a Relocation Request message,
it recognizes the initiation of vertical handoff 17. When the RNC receives the packet transfer context, it
procedure and reserves the wireless resources to prepares the continuous packet transmission according
support the required QoS profile. After the reservation, to the received context. And it sends the acknowledge
the RNC sends a Relocation Request Acknowledge message to the SGSN.
message to the SGSN.
18. The initiation of the vertical handoff is notified to the
11. The SGSN forwards this message to the WAG to PDG by the message from WAG. Then, the PDG
inform a reservation result. sends context information to the GGSN for supporting
12. After the WAG receives a Relocation Response a continuous service after the vertical handoff in
message, it starts the forwarding of buffered data to the UMTS networks.
corresponding RNC for seamless data transfer. 19. Based on the received context information, the GGSN
13. The WAG informs the UE of the fact that the target regenerates a PDP context to support the UE after
network is prepared to accept the UE’s handoff. vertical handoff, and sends the acknowledge message
to the PDG.
14. The WAG also informs the PDG that the UE performs
a vertical handoff.

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 20. After the receiving of RNC relocation message from
the RNC, the SGSN sends a PDP context update
message to the GGSN.
21. The GGSN activates the PDP context based on the
received PDP context information from SGSN, and
notifies the SGSN that the PDP context update is
completed.
22. The UE tries to connect to the UTRAN by sending
RRC messages.
23. The RNC confirms the vertical handoff of the UE by
receiving RRC messages and notifies the vertical
handoff execution to the SGSN.
24. The SGSN sends the Relocation Complete Message to
the WAG to notify that the vertical handoff procedure
is completed.
25. By receiving the Relocation Complete Message, the
WAG confirms that the UE is disconnected and sends
the Relocation Complete Message to the SGSN in
reply.
26. After the vertical handoff completion, all the data
packets destined to the PDG are forwarded to the
GGSN.
IV. PERFORMANCE EVALUATION
For the performance evaluation of the proposed QoS
support vertical handoff scheme, we simulated our proposed
scheme and the basic vertical handoff scheme. This
performance comparison by simulation depends on cell
structure, cell load distribution, QoS requirement of UEs, and
the mobility of UEs, but it can provide the relative performance
and the operability of the proposed scheme.
Figure 3. Configuration of simulation network
At first, we assume the following simulation network
shown in Fig. 3. 5 UMTS cells are located in 3 Km by 3 Km
rectangular area and 25 wireless LAN APs are installed in the
center of the area as hot spots. Each UMTS cell has a circular
coverage of radius 1.1 Km and each wireless LAN AP has a
circular coverage of radius 128 m.
Each UMTS cell has a limited traffic bandwidth of
maximum 128 kbps and background traffic as a cell load
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parameter. For wireless LAN APs, we assume a maximum
traffic bandwidth is 512 kbps and they also have the
background traffic to change their traffic loads. In this
environment, 20 UEs move in a random direction with the
variable velocity of 1~8 m/s and have the required service
bandwidth of 25 kbps, 50 kbps and 125 kbps according to the
simulation parameter.
Figure 4. State transition diagram of UE
To describe the UE’s operation, we define 6 states and the
state transition diagram as shown in Fig. 4. The defined states
are described as following.
• IDLE
UE is connected to the networks, and is not located in
handoff region.
• PROBE_SENT
For the vertical handoff, UE sent a vertical handoff
candidate probing message. Using this message, UE
tried to find cells that can support its QoS requirement
in the target network.
• PROBE_FAIL
Though a UE sent a candidate probing message, it
can’t find any QoS supporting target cell. After some
time out, it changes its state into IDLE.
• PROBED
This state indicates that the UE found a QoS
supporting target cell information through the probing
procedure and can initiate a vertical handoff to that cell.
• HANDOFF_INIT
This state shows that a UE actually started the vertical
handoff procedure.
• DISCONNECTED
If there is no cell that has coverage to connect a UE,
the UE are disconnected from the network.
The basic handoff policy of UE is based on the wireless
LAN preferred operation. If a UE finds an available wireless
LAN AP during a UE movement, it tries to connect to the
wireless LAN AP though it is connected to a UMTS cell. If
there is no available wireless LAN AP, it tries to connect to a
UMTS cell and if there is no UMTS cell, it is disconnected The ratio of the number of QoS supported handoffs to the
from a network. In addition, if a UE could not acquire a number of total handoffs is shown in Fig. 6, in which the result
required bandwidth from the connected cell or AP, it also tries of our proposed scheme is shown using rectangles and the
to find another AP or cell that can support better QoS, and if result of previous one is shown using triangles. If there is no
any, it performs a horizontal handoff to that AP or cell. QoS supportable cell or AP around the UE, our proposed
scheme doesn’t try a vertical handoff. Thus, the performance of
280
handoff supporting QoS should be considered with respect to
260
the total number of handoffs. Fig. 6 shows that our proposed
240 NewHOCount scheme always provides more QoS supported handoffs
NewQoSSuc
220
NewHoriHO
regardless of network load.
200 NewQoSFail
NewVrtHO
Handoff Count

180

160
OldHOCount V. CONCLUSIONS
OldQoSSuc
140 OldHoriHO
OldQoSFail
In this paper, we study the QoS supported handoff scheme
120
OldVrtHO in the interworking of UMTS systems and wireless LAN to
100

80
60
40
0 200 400
WLAN AP Available BW Difference (kbps)
Figure 5. Numbers of handoff vs. WLAN AP available bandwidth difference
The numbers of handoff events vs. the difference of
available bandwidth between wireless LAN APs is shown in
Fig. 5, in which HOCount, QoSSuc, QoSFail, VrtHO and
HoriHO mean the numbers of handoffs, QoS supported
handoffs, QoS unsupported handoffs, vertical handoffs and
horizontal handoffs, respectively. The results of our proposed
scheme are drawn using a dashed line, and the results of
previous one are drawn using a solid line. If there is small
available bandwidth, the difference between the results of
proposed scheme and previous one is small. In this case,
because the network is somewhat saturated, our proposed
scheme can’t find the QoS supported cell or AP around the UE.
But, if there is more available bandwidth, our proposed scheme
increases the handoff performance, because our proposed
scheme decides the handoff target cell or AP based on not only
the received signal strength, but also the available bandwidth
that could be used after the handoff.
0.80
QoS Success HO Ratio
provide a seamless packet data service. Among many problems
in the interworking networks, we focus on how to minimize the
different service characteristics of two interworking networks,
600 800 1000
and provide a new handoff scheme that enhances the target cell
or AP selection scheme during a vertical handoff.
Our proposed scheme uses two additional procedures
before executing a basic vertical handoff procedure. One is to
probe a cell or AP that can support UE’s required bandwidth
through the already connected network interface. And the other
is to select a best one based on not only the signal strength but
also the reported available bandwidth. Using these procedures,
our proposed scheme increases the number of QoS supported
handoffs and decreases the numbers of useless handoffs. In
addition, using our proposed scheme makes the network
entities prepare for the QoS supporting handoff before a UE
actually is handoffed to a new network, thus it can minimize
the total handoff delay time.
Besides this QoS supporting handoff problem, there are too
many problems to be solved to provide a seamless service to a
UE when UMTS and wireless LAN are interworked. By
solving these problems, we can enhance the upcoming network
environments to provide better services for the subscribers.
REFERENCES
[1] K. Ahmavaara, H. Haverinen and R. Pichna, “Interworking Architecture
OldSucRatio
NewSucRatio
Between 3GPP and WLAN Systems”, IEEE Comm. Mag., vol. 41, no.
11, pp 74-81, Nov. 2003.
[2] 3GPP, “General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Service description;

0.75 Stage 2 (Release 5),” 3GPP TS 23.060. v5.4.0, Dec. 2002

[3] “Wireless LAN Medium Access Control (MAC) and Physical Layer
(PHY) Specification,” ANSI/IEEE Std 802.11:1999 (E) Part 11, 1999
[4] C. Perkins, Ed., “IP Mobility Support for IPv4,” IETF RFC 3344, Aug.
0.70 2002
[5] 3GPP, “3GPP Systems to Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
Interworking; System Description (Release 6),” 3GPP TS 23.234.
v.2.3.0, Nov. 2003
0.65
0 200 400 600 800 1000
W LAN AP available BW difference (kbps)

Figure 6. Ratio of QoS successful handoff vs. WLAN AP available

bandwidth difference

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