Protocols for mobility management in heterogeneous multi-hop wireless networks

Substantial works have recently been reported on the mobility management in single-hop wireless networks (e.g. cellular networks and WLAN hotspots), while there has been an increased interest in multi-hop communications. This has made mobility management in heterogeneous multi-hop wireless networks (HMWNs) really interesting so that both single-hop and multi-hop communication paradigms can be integrated. One of the main research challenges for 4G wireless systems is the identification of a mobility management technique that could integrate different wireless technologies such as WLANs, WMANs and WWANs, operating in infrastructure (single-hop) and infrastructureless (ad hoc or multi-hop) modes. In this article we envision a futuristic HMWN where heterogeneous networks, operating in single-hop and multi-hop modes are integrated to provide increased capacity and enhanced coverage for the users. We summarize various existing mobility management solutions and discuss why these schemes are not adequate for HMWNs, as well as highlighting our view of mobility management issues in HMWNs.