HANDOFF

Handoff refers to a process of transferring an ongoing call or data session from one channel
connected to the core network to another.
 Process of transferring a MS from one base station to another.
 Also called as Hadover .
Handoff management is the process by which a mobile node keeps its connection active
when it moves from one access point to another. There are three stages in a handoff process.
 First, the initiation of handoff is triggered by either the mobile device, or a network
agent, or the changing network conditions.
 The second stage is for a new connection generation, where the network must find
new resources for the handoff connection and perform any additional routing
operations.
 Finally, data-flow control needs to maintain the delivery of the data from the old
connection path to the new connection path according to the agreed-upon QoS
guarantees.
Reasons for a Handoffs to be conducted:
• To avoid call termination: call drops
• When the capacity for connecting new calls of a given cell is used up.
• Interference in the channels.
• When the user behaviours change like - Speed and mobility.
The need for Handoff

As the user (MS) moves away from the cell of one tower (BS), the signal strength of that BS
reduces. However, the signal from another (now closer) BS grows, and a handoff is
imminent.
  One of the building blocks of cellular communication is mobility, which refers to
providing users with the freedom of movement while they still are connected to the
network.
 Handoffs play a major role in allowing users to move across cells without the fear of
being disconnected.
 It is also to be noted that a handoff may also be triggered when the number of
subscribers in a particular cell has already reached the cell’s maximum limit, keeping
the network safe from the threat of being congested and overloaded.
 It can be assumed to be an example of “make before break” as a standby connection
is supposed to be present before the switch is done.
Types of Handoffs
There are various types of handoffs as listed below, each of which are used in different
scenarios.
 Soft handoff
 Hard handoff
 Forced handoff
 Delayed handoff
 Mobile-Assisted handoff
 Intersystem handoff
 Intercell handoff
 Intracell handoff
Next, we will have a look at the above types of handoffs, their advantages and disadvantages,
and where they are used. First, we will see inter-MSC handoffs, which are the ones that occur
when the user moves from one MSC to another.
Soft Handoff

Soft handoff
Soft Handoff is a feature where a cellular device gets connected to two or more cell BTS (or
cell sectors) at the same time. If all the sectors to which the MS is connected to are from the
same cell, then it is referred to as a Softer Handoff.

Softer handoff
Advantages
 It provides better Quality Assurance as a channel is always on stand by in case of
power loss in any other channel.
 More than one repeater can send and receive signals to transmit signals to and from
mobiles, increasing transfer speed.
 Delay is very low
 Soft Handoffs lead to an increase in the signal to interference ratio, without
performance loss. This is known as the Soft Handover Gain.
Disadvantages
 Only supported for phones that employ CDMA/ WCDMA, and cannot be
implemented in LTE or GSM.
 Costlier to implement than Hard Handoff as a channel is always wasted by being the
backup.
Used In
Soft Handoffs are generally used in MS that employ Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)
or Wideband CDMA (WCDMA), and its associated services, and also in applications that
require a continuous connection throughout, possibly for security purposes.
Hard Handoff
Hard Handoff is a technique that requires the user’s connection to be broken before
connecting to another while switching between two BTS and hence is equivalent to “breaking
before making”. It is generally implemented in Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)
and Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) based devices and is implemented when the
subscriber/user is being connected to a base station with a different radio frequency than
the current base station. The following image shows the difference between Soft and Hard
Handovers.

Hard handoff
Advantages
 Hard Handovers are cheaper as they require only one channel to be active at a time.
 Hard Handoffs are generally implemented more than Soft Handoffs thanks to their
efficiency.
Disadvantages
 A delay is often experienced while switching, but it generally is quite small such that
the user does not experience it.
Used In
Apart from being implemented in FDMA and TDMA devices, Hard Handoffs are also used in
applications that can afford slight delays, such as VoIP, Internet, and WiMAX.
Forced Handoff
A Forced Handoff can occur in two ways, either by forcing a handoff to occur or forcibly
preventing a handoff that was supposed to happen from not happening. This could be done
when the number of users exceeds the capacity of the network.
Advantages
 Helps in mobility management by controlling which devices are to remain
connected.
 Prevents the network from the threat of being down due to congestion.
Disadvantages
 Increased chances of high latency and dropped calls.
Used In
Forced Handoffs are generally used for security and surveillance purposes, and also to
manage network traffic better.

Delayed Handoff
A delayed handoff occurs when no BTS is available to accept the transfer. In such a case, the
call generally continues until the signal strength reaches a certain threshold. If it goes
below the threshold, the call is dropped.
Advantages
 Help in handling the call more adequately.
Disadvantages
 The quality of the call could go for a toss.
 Chances of calls being dropped are very high.
Used In
Delayed handoffs are generally used when users are somewhere where dead spots (areas
where there is no network coverage) are quite common.

Mobile-Assisted Handoff
A mobile-assisted handoff (MAHO) is a process used specifically in GSM networks where a
mobile phone assists or helps the BTS to transfer a call to another BTS, with stronger signal
strength and improved connectivity.
Advantages
 Reduced handoff time as the device is responsible for facilitating the handoff.
 Reduced traffic at the BSC/ MSC as the decision to switch is taken by the MS.
 Suitable when handoffs are frequent.
Disadvantages
 Added load on the processor of the MS in comparing signal strength of nearby BTS.
Used In
They are primarily used in GSM devices, which is based on the TDMA technique.
Intersystem Handoff
Intersystem Handoffs come into play when the user moves from one network that is under
the jurisdiction of an MSC to another. During this handoff, the call is transferred to the
destination MSC, which further tries to allocate a specific bandwidth at the cell site where
the user is at present.
Advantages
 Facilitates roaming and preserves the mobility promise of cellular networks.
Disadvantages
 This is only possible if the two MSCs are compatible and have the necessary
software that can facilitate these handoffs.
Used In
Intersystem Handoffs are used when the user moves from one system to another.

The handoffs that we just saw are those that happen between two MSCs. Handoffs also
happen between two BTSs or cells as well, which we will have a look at in this section.

Intercell Handoffs
An intercell handoff occurs when an MS is transferred from one BTS to the other, mostly to
balance the load on the network. It is generally the BSC that takes control here and acts as
the switching agent.

Intracell and Intercell handoff

Intracell Handoffs
Intracell Handoffs are those that occur between two physical channels within the same cell.
The frequency of the channel is changed generally due to interference or similar reasons.
Here, the MS remains connected to the same BTS throughout the process.
Even though we mentioned certain disadvantages for each type of handoff, their advantages
overweigh them and hence play a major role in cellular systems.
 Hand off protocols
Mainly there are Four types of handoff protocols which help in providing continuous and
QOS-guaranteed service.
– Network-controlled handoff (NCHO)
– Mobile-assisted handoff (MAHO)
– Soft handoff (SHO) and
– Mobile-controlled handoff (MCHO)
The design of handoff management techniques in all-IP based next-generation wireless
networks must address the following issues:
• signaling overhead and power requirement for processing handoff messages should be
minimized,
• QoS guarantees must be made,
• network resources should be efficiently used, and
• the handoff mechanism should be scalable, reliable and robust.