Soft QoS control in the WATMnet broadband wireless system

A framework for QoS control in broadband wireless networks is presented. The framework allows terminal and network-initiated bandwidth renegotiation to handle wide spatiotemporal traffic dynamics characteristic of mobile multimedia applications. The concept of "softness profiles" is used to realize soft QoS control at radio access points. An implementation perspective of the framework's protocol and software components within NEC's WATMnet(TM) mobile wireless TM system is given. The principles of traffic management and signaling extensions required for soft QoS control are outlined. The terminal software architecture is described with a focus on APIs and their use within Winsock's generic QoS architecture. The importance of soft QoS control for future broadband mobile network architectures with integrated IP and ATM transport is discussed.