Adaptive Cost-Based with Max–Min AMC Routing Algorithm for Increasing Utilization and Reducing Blocking in IEEE 802.16j WiMAX Networks

Abstract

Based on the IEEE 802.16e standard, WiMAX has proposed a relay-based mechanism, namely IEEE 802.16j, to extend the service area of the Multihop Relay Base Stations (MR-BSs) and to improve the Received Signal Strength quality. IEEE 802.16j thus can achieve two significant advantages: extending the WiMAX service area with a low-cost solution and compatible with the existing WiMAX specifications. The Relay Station (RS) can be classified into three types: Fixed RS, Nomadic RS and Mobile RS according to diverse features of mobility and relaying range. A multihop-relay WiMAX network including various types of RSs exhibits a critical routing issue, i.e., how to determine an efficient relay-based routing path between a Mobile Station (MS) and a MR-BS. This paper thus proposes an IEEE 802.16j-conformed relay-based adaptive competitive on-line routing approach that focuses on the Non-Transparent Relay-Station (NT-RS) mode, where the path with the least cost and the highest AMC coding rate will be selected in terms of the link bandwidth, path length and channel conditions. Numerical results indicate that the proposed routing approach significantly outperforms other approaches in Fractional Reward Loss, network utilization and average end-to-end path delay.