A multicast mechanism using significance-based and interference-aware algorithm for intra WiMAX mesh network

IEEE 802.16 WiMAX is a rapidly developing technology for broadband wireless access systems. The IEEE 802.16 MAC layer defines two operational modes, point-to-multipoint (PMP) mode and mesh mode. In the centralized protocol, all resources are controlled by base station (BS). In this work, we propose a novel two-stage scheme for constructing an effective multicast tree. The first stage applies a significance-based algorithm to finding suitable multicast points and constructing effective multicast sub-trees. The second stage applies an interference-aware Steiner tree to connecting the source to each multicast sub-tree. Finally, an algorithm generates the final multicast tree topology. Simulation results reveal that the proposed approach outperforms others in the construction of a multicast tree and significantly reduces the interference of a mesh network.