MIH-based FMIPv6 optimization for fast-moving mobiles

Mobile devices in the next generation are expected to integrate multiple wireless interfaces. Such rich media device requires an adequate mobility features to accomplish fast and seamless handover across heterogeneous networks. Even though Fast Mobile IPv6 overcomes the long handover latency of Mobile IPv6 and makes this delay acceptable for real-time applications, the long initiation handover delay represents a constraint for fast-moving mobiles which don't have sufficient time to exchange all the FMIPv6 messages before the connection is broken, causing the activation of the reactive mode with big handover delay and packet loss. In this paper we propose an enhanced FMIPv6 protocol using Media Independent Handover services. MIH supplies FMIPv6 with lower layer indications that allow the mobile to make intelligent and optimized handovers. This scheme increases the probability that FMIPv6 operates in the predictive mode by reducing the initiation handover delay. Moreover, by using link event indications, the mobile will be served until its physical disconnection and as soon as it connects to the new network, the packets will be forwarded from the new access router without waiting for attachment announce from FMIPv6. As a consequence, the service reestablishment is faster, the disruption time and buffer size in access routers are reduced and probability of packet loss is minimized.