ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces the link layer adaptation mechanisms available in wireless metropolitan area network (MAN) technologies including Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers 802.16, High-performance radio access (HiperACCESS), HiperMAN, and Wireless Broadband (WiBro). It describes the concept and the premise for link adaptation in wireless networks, presents the relevant mechanisms for each broadband wireless access system and highlights their core capabilities. The chapter presents some open issues from the perspective of link adaptation, considering the potential evolutionary directions of wireless systems. It focuses on Microwave Access (WiMAX), compared to WiBro, HiperACCESS, and HiperMAN, since the latter specifications have adopted the former specification or a subset with the goal of global harmonization. The chapter explores a brief survey of prior work in the area of link adaptation and elaborates on the link adaptation capabilities of WiMAX, HiperACCESS, HiperMAN, and WiBro, respectively.