Handover based on a predictive approach of signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio for heterogeneous cellular networks

In mobile communication networks, the handover procedure enables a continuous communication service for users on the move. However, handovers, handover failures, and ping-pong handovers increase the signalling load in the network, resulting in the use of network resources and a reduction of the system throughput. They also add delay to the transmitted data and even the risk of disconnection in detriment to the quality of experience of the user. Therefore, reducing the handover processes and their errors is an important issue, particularly, in heterogeneous networks that are more prone to trigger handovers due to their configuration with overlapped cells of different sizes. Additionally, heterogeneous networks present a higher percentage of handover errors in comparison with networks only formed by macro-cells. In this work, the authors present a method to adapt the start of the handover based on a prediction of the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio. Their proposal reduces handover failures and the probability of ping-pong handovers simultaneously, by determining the appropriate time to safely perform the handover.