An ICN-Based Authentication Protocol for a Simplified LTE Architecture

Nowadays, theCompagno, Alberto mostConti, Mauro diffusedKhan, Muhammad Hassan approach for supporting device mobility is to implement specific mechanisms at link-layer (e.g., tunneling) supported by a dedicated architecture (e.g., LTE architecture). While this approach can handle mobility well within a singular network, it fails to provide a seamless Internet connectivity when mobility occurs among different networks. To achieve inter-networks mobility, researchers proposed to implement mobility management protocols at the network layer. However, the current IP network layer has not been designed for handling mobility, with the result that none of the proposed IP-based methodologies is able to provide a satisfactory solution. Information Centric Networking (ICN) is an emerging networking paradigm that provides a better support for mobility than IP, enabling full mobility management at network layer. In this paper, we take a fresh look on mobility management and propose a simplified LTE infrastructure that exploits the mobility support provided at the ICN network layer. We revise the current device authentication protocol for LTE, and we present a novel handover protocol that exploits the ICN communication style. Compared to the protocol adopted in the current LTE, our proposals are able to reduce the number of messages required to authenticate or re-authenticate a device during mobility.