Performance analysis of multi-service DS-CDMA cellular networks with soft handoff

Direct-Sequence Code Division Multiple Access (DS-CDMA) networks are fast evolving from voice only networks to multi-service networks accommodating services including voice and video. A key requirement for the viability of next generation 3G and 4G networks is the ability to support a heterogeneous mix of services with varying traffic characteristics. Numerous papers in the literature have analyzed the effect of soft capacity and soft handoff on network performance. However, there is none that analyzes the impact of soft handoff on multi-service DS-CDMA cellular networks. The main contribution of this paper is a unique analytical model that includes soft handoff while supporting services such as voice and video with user mobility taken into account. Network performance is also computed in terms of call blocking probability and call dropping probability.