Distributed Mobility Management in Next-Generation Wireless Networks
Summary
Traditional centralised mobility architectures are increasingly challenged by the explosive growth of devices, the stringent latency requirements of emerging applications and the diversity of access technologies in 5G and beyond. Distributed Mobility Management (DMM) emerges as a paradigm that decentralises mobility anchors, relocates control functions closer to the user and flattens the network plane to reduce signalling overhead and bottlenecks. By leveraging edge computing, software-defined networking and network function virtualisation, DMM facilitates more efficient routing, swifter handovers and seamless session continuity across heterogeneous environments. This approach promises to support ultra-low-latency applications such as augmented reality, vehicular communications and massive Internet of Things deployments. Recent innovations have addressed security challenges inherent in flat architectures, introduced tunnel-free handover schemes and proposed hybrid anchoring models to balance scalability with reliability. As networks evolve towards 6G, DMM offers a flexible framework for dynamic anchor placement, context-aware mobility policies and integration with intelligent network slices, ensuring global coverage and quality of service for future wireless ecosystems.
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Distributed Mobility Management in Next-Generation Wireless Networks publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in distributed mobility management in next-generation wireless networks across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Distributed Mobility Management (DMM): A flat architecture that decentralises mobility anchors and control functions to optimise routing and eliminate central bottlenecks.
Centralised Mobility Management (CMM): A legacy design relying on a single anchor point for session continuity, often leading to increased latency and risk of congestion.
Handover Latency: The time interval during which a mobile device switches its point of attachment from one network node to another.
Mobility Anchor: A network entity responsible for maintaining session state, forwarding packets and managing device location information.
Tunnel-Free Handover: An approach that avoids packet encapsulation by establishing direct routing paths between user equipment and network anchors.
References
- Mobility Management Issues and Solutions in 5G-and-Beyond Networks: A Comprehensive Review. Electronics (2022).
- DMM-SEP: Secure and Efficient Protocol for Distributed Mobility Management Based on 5G Networks. IEEE Access (2020).
- Tunnel-Free Distributed Mobility Management (DMM) Support Protocol for Future Mobile Networks. Electronics (2019).
- Performance Evaluation of Distributed Mobility Management Protocols: Limitations and Solutions for Future Mobile Networks. Mobile Information Systems (2017).
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