Multicast scheduling algorithms in mobile networks

We consider the problem of multicasting data to mobile users in a cellular mobile network. In the absence of mobility, a single channel can be used to multicast to all mobile users within a cell. However, mobility combined with the effects of fading necessitates a more complex channel allocation policy. In this paper we develop theoretical bounds on the maximum obtainable efficiency and present algorithms that acheive this bound. Our results hold for the case when mobiles travel on a highway, as well as for the more general case where mobiles roam in a two-dimensional region. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.