Proactive handover-aware packet scheduling for mptcp with multiple cellular networks on high-speed trains

In the high-speed train environment, frequent handovers between cells due to high mobility significantly degrade the performance of LTE (Long Term Evolution). The integration of multiple LTE connections through MPTCP (Multi Path Transmission Control Protocol) has gained attention as a solution to address the challenges posed by frequent handovers. However, when using conventional multipath schedulers in high-speed trains, the network experiences abrupt changes during handovers, leading to the inability to perform normal scheduling and resulting in Out-of-Order packet occurrences. The movement path of high-speed trains follows railway tracks, remaining unchanged and moving at a constant speed. Additionally, the base station's location is fixed. Therefore, handover information collected in advance can be utilized for subsequent train operations. In this paper,we proposed the proactive handover-aware scheduler, utilizing pre-collected handover information and real-time location data of the train to block the corresponding subflows when handovers occur. The proposed scheduler is evaluated using Network Simulator-3, confirming its capability to improve throughput at the moment of handover occurrences.