Network Architecture and QoS Study on Software Defined LTE Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks

Evolution of LTE networks is one of the major milestones in vehicular ad hoc networks as LTE provides the necessary Quality of Service (QoS) and mobility support for vehicular users. The recent research in LTE is an integration of Software Defined Networking (SDN) to enhance the network QoS, as well as the user's Quality of Experience. In this paper, first we identify the major challenges while integrating an LTE network with SDN. Second, we propose an OpenFlow controller for the LTE vehicular networks and present a theoretical evaluation. The proposed SDN-LTE simplifies the design and management of the network, while enabling new services and users' mobility. Third, we investigate the QoS performance of SDN-LTE network using Mininet simulation without LTE MAC functions to analyze the limitation of the current SDN controller with LTE, which has high impact on QoS for vehicular applications.