Abstract

Mobile device usage and data consumption have increased at an exponential pace, putting a strain on existing cellular infrastructures. This has prompted the development of opportunistic wireless networks, which have the potential to ease congestion. Such networks, through sparse connectivity and data routing, aid in optimizing and thus relieving the burden on cellular services. This study addresses the issue of offloading cellular traffic onto wireless networks to design algorithms for data forwarding, resource allocation, delay allowance, and tolerance optimization with defined heuristics. These strategies are evaluated through computer simulations using diverse network topologies and traffic generation patterns. Simulation results indicate substantial gains in throughput, latency, and energy expenditure compared to orthodox cell-based approaches. It has been determined that using such networks, or optimized wireless networks, in next-generation systems can effectively reduce traffic congestion caused by cellular networks.