Handover Procedure in Femtocells

Abstract

Implementation of small base stations, known as femtocells, increases the throughput of indoor as well as outdoor users. However it brings several issues that need to be addressed. This chapter is focused on mobility management and problems closely related to the handover procedure. The main challenge is to guarantee efficient handover from/to/between femtocells. It means to ensure minimum signaling overhead due to unnecessary handovers, to minimize handover interruption, and to mitigate interference caused by elimination of redundant handovers. The basic principle of the handover is explained together with the main challenges concerning the handover in a scenario with deployed femtocells. Furthermore, individual issues are described in detail and possible ways to solve them are contemplated. The chapter does not stick to any specific standard; however, it is focused on the general principles and problems of the handover procedure from the femtocell’s point of view.