How does mobility affect the connectivity of interference-limited ad-hoc networks?

TL;DR

This paper investigates how mobility patterns, modeled by RWPM, influence the connectivity and interference in ad-hoc networks, revealing significant spatial variations and trade-offs that affect network performance.

Contribution

It introduces a stochastic geometry-based analysis of node distribution and connection probability under mobility, providing new closed-form expressions for interference-limited ad-hoc networks.

Findings

Node distribution is highly inhomogeneous, with more nodes near the domain center.

Connectivity varies significantly across the network domain.

Derived formulas enable analysis and optimization of network performance.

Abstract

One limiting factor to the performance of mobile ad-hoc networks is the amount of interference that is experienced by each node. In this paper we use the Random Waypoint Mobility Model (RWPM) to represent such a network of mobile devices, and show that the connectivity of a receiver at different parts of the network domain varies significantly. This is a result of a large portion of the nodes in the RWPM being located near the centre of the domain resulting in increased levels of interference between neighbouring devices. A non-trivial trade-off therefore exists between the spatial intensity of interfering signals and non-interfering (useful) ones. Using tools from stochastic geometry, we derive closed form expressions for the spatial distribution of nodes in a rectangle and the connection probability for an interference limited network indicating the impact an inhomogeneous distribution of nodes has on a network's performance. Our novel results can be used to analyse this trade-off and optimize network performance.