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TWELVE addresses service differentiation in complex and realistic 802.11 networks. Service differentiation and QoS support at the MAC level in a single 802.11 “cell” (i.e. a BSS) is an important and hot research issue. Channel access priority mechanisms and admission control issues have been (and are being) thoroughly tackled in both the 802.11e Task Group and in recent literature, and they deserve specific attention also within our project.

But service differentiation is much more that “just” channel access priorities when mobile users, involved in different types of traffic sessions, ranging from plain file transfer to voice over WLAN communication to video information retrieval, roam within (and through) complex and emerging 802.11 network scenarios, such as hot-zones bases on 802.11 ESS or even wireless ESS Mesh (where QoS-aware switching/routing enters into play). Moreover, in order to thoroughly exploit technological advances at the physical layer (such as adaptive modulation and coding schemes and multiple/smart antenna technologies for higher rates and capacity), as well as to take full advantage of innovative network architectures (such as the above mentioned wireless mesh networks), significant modifications at the radio access layer appear necessary, and this adds great complexity to the service differentiation dimension. Finally, when dealing with public spaces and paying customers, service differentiation is not limited to performance issues, but involves differentiated management of customers, of their security levels, and of the service portfolio (including location/context-aware applications) they are offered.