Composite quality of service and decision making perspectives in wireless networks

Supporting quality of service (QoS) in wireless networks has been a very rich and interesting area of research. Many significant advances have been made in supporting QoS in single wireless networks. However, the support for the QoS across multiple heterogeneous wireless networks will be required in the future wireless networks. In connections spanning multiple wireless networks, the end-to-end QoS will depend on several factors such as mobility and connection patterns of users, and the QoS policies in each of the wireless networks. The end-to-end is also affected by multiple decisions that must be made by several different network entities for resource allocation. The paper has two objectives: one is to demonstrate the decision making process for resource allocation in multiple heterogeneous wireless networks and the second is to present a novel concept of composite QoS in such wireless environment. More specifically, we present an architecture for Multiple heterogeneous wireless networks. decision making process for resource request and allocation, a simulation model to study composite QoS, and several interesting results. We also present potential implications of composite QoS on users and network service providers. We also show how the QoS ideas presented in this paper can be used by wireless carriers for improved QoS support and management. The paper can form the basis for a significant further research in DSS for emerging 3G/4G wireless networks supporting QoS for a range of sophisticated and resource intensive mobile applications. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.