576 research outputs found
Separation Framework: An Enabler for Cooperative and D2D Communication for Future 5G Networks
Soaring capacity and coverage demands dictate that future cellular networks
need to soon migrate towards ultra-dense networks. However, network
densification comes with a host of challenges that include compromised energy
efficiency, complex interference management, cumbersome mobility management,
burdensome signaling overheads and higher backhaul costs. Interestingly, most
of the problems, that beleaguer network densification, stem from legacy
networks' one common feature i.e., tight coupling between the control and data
planes regardless of their degree of heterogeneity and cell density.
Consequently, in wake of 5G, control and data planes separation architecture
(SARC) has recently been conceived as a promising paradigm that has potential
to address most of aforementioned challenges. In this article, we review
various proposals that have been presented in literature so far to enable SARC.
More specifically, we analyze how and to what degree various SARC proposals
address the four main challenges in network densification namely: energy
efficiency, system level capacity maximization, interference management and
mobility management. We then focus on two salient features of future cellular
networks that have not yet been adapted in legacy networks at wide scale and
thus remain a hallmark of 5G, i.e., coordinated multipoint (CoMP), and
device-to-device (D2D) communications. After providing necessary background on
CoMP and D2D, we analyze how SARC can particularly act as a major enabler for
CoMP and D2D in context of 5G. This article thus serves as both a tutorial as
well as an up to date survey on SARC, CoMP and D2D. Most importantly, the
article provides an extensive outlook of challenges and opportunities that lie
at the crossroads of these three mutually entangled emerging technologies.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figures, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 201
Technical advances in the design and deployment of future heterogeneous networks
The trend in wireless communications systems is the enhancement of the network infrastructure with the introduction of small cells, where a specific geographical area is served by low-range, low-power access points. The result is the creation of a heterogeneous topology where macrocells coexist with a variety of small-cell types. In this editorial article we briefly summarize the recent technical advances in the design and deployment of future heterogeneous networks addressed in the papers that compose this special issue. In particular the following aspects are considered: the design of interference and radio resource management algorithms, the analysis of the energy efficiency and power control issues in heterogeneous networks, the concept of coordination in small cell networks, key backhaul aspects of HetNets, deployment issues and overall management strategies.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version
Flexible Multimodal Sub-Gigahertz Communication for Heterogeneous Internet of Things Applications
To realize low-power and low-cost wireless communication over long distances, several wireless standards using sub-1 GHz frequencies have recently been proposed, each with their own strengths and weaknesses in terms of coverage, energy consumption, and throughput. However, none of them are currently flexible enough to satisfy the requirements of future dynamic and heterogeneous IoT applications. To alleviate this, a novel architecture that uses a multimodal device for flexibly employing a variety of heterogeneous sub-1 GHz wireless networks is proposed. It greatly increases network flexibility, resilience, and performance. A device design is presented together with an abstraction layer that combines the different networks into a single flexible virtual network substrate. The article elaborates on the qualitative advantages of this approach. Measurement-based simulation results show advantages in terms of energy efficiency, with significant reduction in energy use compared to a single-technology solution in a representative IoT track and trace scenario. Finally, the article identifies several open research challenges that need to be resolved to fully realize this vision of flexible multimodal communication for demanding IoT applications
Improved Handover Through Dual Connectivity in 5G mmWave Mobile Networks
The millimeter wave (mmWave) bands offer the possibility of orders of
magnitude greater throughput for fifth generation (5G) cellular systems.
However, since mmWave signals are highly susceptible to blockage, channel
quality on any one mmWave link can be extremely intermittent. This paper
implements a novel dual connectivity protocol that enables mobile user
equipment (UE) devices to maintain physical layer connections to 4G and 5G
cells simultaneously. A novel uplink control signaling system combined with a
local coordinator enables rapid path switching in the event of failures on any
one link. This paper provides the first comprehensive end-to-end evaluation of
handover mechanisms in mmWave cellular systems. The simulation framework
includes detailed measurement-based channel models to realistically capture
spatial dynamics of blocking events, as well as the full details of MAC, RLC
and transport protocols. Compared to conventional handover mechanisms, the
study reveals significant benefits of the proposed method under several
metrics.Comment: 16 pages, 13 figures, to appear on the 2017 IEEE JSAC Special Issue
on Millimeter Wave Communications for Future Mobile Network
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