Minimizing transmission time in 802.16-based multi-channel mesh networks

Purpose – Time slot allocation in world interoperability for microwave access (WiMax) mesh networks is controlled by a centralized scheduling algorithm, as specified in the IEEE standard 802.16. The scheduling algorithm should be able to minimize the total transmission time for all traffic flows. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the multi-channel scheduling problem in WiMax mesh networks, in order to explore the potential of simultaneous transmissions and thus minimize the total transmission time.
Design/methodology/approach – The paper first analyzes how many channels are sufficient for the avoidance of interference, then presents an efficient scheduling algorithm along with the channel assignment strategy for time slot allocation. Particularly, for networks with chain topology, the paper provides an optimal solution to minimize the total transmission time.
Findings – The simulation results show that this scheme can improve the system performance substantially as compared with the single-channel system. Also, it is observed that double-channel settings may provide a performance similar to the multiple channels.
Practical implications – The algorithm presented in this paper is conformed to the IEEE standard 802.16-2004; so it is suitable for WiMax mesh networks.
Originality/value – The paper is of value in presenting a scheduling and channel assignment schema for multi-channel WiMax mesh networks. The work is also important for the study of time division multiple access (TDMA)-based multi-channel wireless mesh networks.
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