A novel model for minimizing unnecessary handover in heterogeneous networks

Over the years, vertical handover necessity estimation has attracted the interest of numerous researchers. Despite the attractive benefits of integrating different wireless platforms, mobile users are confronted with the issue of detrimental handover. This paper uses extensive geometric and probabilistic techniques to develop a realistic and novel model for the coverage area of a wireless local area network (WLAN) cell with an aim to minimize unnecessary handover and handover failure of a mobile node (MN) traversing the WLAN cell from a third-generation network. The dwell time is estimated along with the threshold values to ensure an optimal handover decision by the MN, while the probability of unnecessary handover and probability of handover failure are kept within tolerable bounds. Monte Carlo simulations were carried out to assess the behavior of the proposed and existing models. Simulation results showed that our proposed model is more robust and capable of keeping unnecessary handover probability and handover failure probability closest to a predefined probability benchmark. For model validation, the Nash–Sutcliffe coefficient was used to compute the efficiency of the proposed model, which achieved a value of 98.82% indicating the accuracy of the model.