LTE Optimization and Resource Management in Wireless Heterogeneous Networks

Mobile communication technology is evolving with a great pace. The development of the Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile system by 3GPP is one of the milestones in this direction. This work highlights a few areas in the LTE radio access network where the proposed innovative mechanisms can substantially improve overall LTE system performance. In order to further extend the capacity of LTE networks, an integration with the non-3GPP networks (e.g., WLAN, WiMAX etc.) is also proposed in this work. Moreover, it is discussed how bandwidth resources should be managed in such heterogeneous networks. The work has purposed a comprehensive system architecture as an overlay of the 3GPP defined SAE architecture, effective resource management mechanisms as well as a Linear Programming based analytical solution for the optimal network resource allocation problem. In addition, alternative computationally efficient heuristic based algorithms have also been designed to achieve near-optimal performance

Calculating a single figure of merit (SFOM) in LTE: a predictor of quality of experience (QoE)

An exigent assignment for network planners of modern mobile systems technologies like Long Term Evolution (LTE) is to predict the subscriber’s satisfaction during the delivery of services over the wireless network and their satisfaction level during journeys such as freeway and train journeys. There is great need for a procedure and for a simulation software tool based on a methodology that would assist the mobile network planners in overcoming this arduous task. This thesis proposes and implements a new and novel solution to the aforementioned problem by proposing a method of calculating a Single Figure of Merit (SFOM), which assesses the user’s Quality of Experience (QoE) based on the technical measure of the Quality of Service (QoS) reported by the network. The proposed SFOM reduces the number of metrics involved in calculation in comparison to the earlier QoE computation approaches. The resulting SFOM proves to be a good indicator of the user’s QoE with the network for the complete duration of a journey along pre-defined and random paths. The SFOM calculation method has been implemented as an addition to an open-source Matlab-based LTE System Level Simulator. This thesis also proposes and implements two novel special event walking models, named as: “Starburst Walking Model” (e.g. people gathering or leaving a sports arena) and the “Trainload Walking Model” (e.g. trainload of people moving from one point to another) which are a novel addition to the mobility management aspects of the simulator. Network planners can benefit from this improved simulation tool to evaluate different arrangements and position mobile assets, with a view to optimizing the user’s experience and minimizing capital costs. The work supplementing the open-source Matlab-based LTE System Level Simulator’s functionality was published at the following IEEE conference: M. W. Baig and P. J. Radcliffe, “Pragmatic Network Layouts in 3GPP LTE”, 2010 2nd International Conference on Information and Multimedia Technology (ICIMT 2010) Making use of the improved functional ability of the simulator, a new and novel methodology which facilitates comparing alternative network topologies and assigns SFOM to random or predefined paths in a LTE environment was published at the following IEEE Conference: M. W. Baig and P. J. Radcliffe, “Assigning a Single Figure of Merit (SFOM) to a Specified Path in a LTE Network”, 2011 International Conference on Information and Computer Networks (ICICN 2011

Investigation of an intelligent personalised service recommendation system in an IMS based cellular mobile network

Success or failure of future information and communication services in general and mobile communications in particular is greatly dependent on the level of personalisations they can offer. While the provision of anytime, anywhere, anyhow services has been the focus of wireless telecommunications in recent years, personalisation however has gained more and more attention as the unique selling point of mobile devices. Smart phones should be intelligent enough to match user’s unique needs and preferences to provide a truly personalised service tailored for the individual user. In the first part of this thesis, the importance and role of personalisation in future mobile networks is studied. This is followed, by an agent based futuristic user scenario that addresses the provision of rich data services independent of location. Scenario analysis identifies the requirements and challenges to be solved for the realisation of a personalised service. An architecture based on IP Multimedia Subsystem is proposed for mobility and to provide service continuity whilst roaming between two different access standards. Another aspect of personalisation, which is user preference modelling, is investigated in the context of service selection in a multi 3rd party service provider environment. A model is proposed for the automatic acquisition of user preferences to assist in service selection decision-making. User preferences are modelled based on a two-level Bayesian Metanetwork. Personal agents incorporating the proposed model provide answers to preference related queries such as cost, QoS and service provider reputation. This allows users to have their preferences considered automatically

Software Defined Applications in Cellular and Optical Networks

abstract: Small wireless cells have the potential to overcome bottlenecks in wireless access through the sharing of spectrum resources. A novel access backhaul network architecture based on a Smart Gateway (Sm-GW) between the small cell base stations, e.g., LTE eNBs, and the conventional backhaul gateways, e.g., LTE Servicing/Packet Gateways (S/P-GWs) has been introduced to address the bottleneck. The Sm-GW flexibly schedules uplink transmissions for the eNBs. Based on software defined networking (SDN) a management mechanism that allows multiple operator to flexibly inter-operate via multiple Sm-GWs with a multitude of small cells has been proposed. This dissertation also comprehensively survey the studies that examine the SDN paradigm in optical networks. Along with the PHY functional split improvements, the performance of Distributed Converged Cable Access Platform (DCCAP) in the cable architectures especially for the Remote-PHY and Remote-MACPHY nodes has been evaluated. In the PHY functional split, in addition to the re-use of infrastructure with a common FFT module for multiple technologies, a novel cross functional split interaction to cache the repetitive QAM symbols across time at the remote node to reduce the transmission rate requirement of the fronthaul link has been proposed.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Electrical Engineering 201

A-Interface Over Internet Protocol For User-Plane Connection Optimization In GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network

This thesis will cover a detailed study about the main motivations and benefits from using IP as a transport protocol for specifically A-interface in GERAN for Circuit Switched User-Plane (CS-UP) connection, in addition to the required protocols. The main study in this document will be around Real Time Protocol (RTP), Real Time Control Protocol (RTCP) negotiation for RTP packets multiplexing, for both cases, with and without RTP header compression. The focus will be about the communication between the Base Station Controller (BSC) and the Media GateWay (MGW), the bandwidth gain in accordance to the multiplexing delay for processing and buffering, the voice Quality of Service (QoS) and some other parameters

Optimisation of Traffic Steering for Heterogeneous Mobile Networks

Mobile networks have changed from circuit switched to IP-based mobile wireless packet switched networks. This paradigm shift led to new possibilities and challenges. The development of new capabilities based on IP-based networks is ongoing and raises new problems that have to be tackled, for example, the heterogeneity of current radio access networks and the wide range of data rates, coupled with user requirements and behaviour. A typical example of this shift is the nature of traffic, which is currently mostly data-based; further, forecasts based on market and usage trends indicate a data traffic increase of nearly 11 times between 2013 and 2018. The majority of this data traffic is predicted to be multimedia traffic, such as video streaming and live video streaming combined with voice traffic, all prone to delay, jitter, and packet loss and demanding high data rates and a high Quality of Service (QoS) to enable the provision of valuable service to the end-user. While the demands on the network are increasing, the end-user devices become more mobile and end-user demand for the capability of being always on, anytime and anywhere. The combination of end-user devices mobility, the required services, and the significant traffic loads generated by all the end-users leads to a pressing demand for adequate measures to enable the fulfilment of these requirements. The aim of this research is to propose an architecture which provides smart, intelligent and per end-user device individualised traffic steering for heterogeneous mobile networks to cope with the traffic volume and to fulfil the new requirements on QoS, mobility, and real-time capabilities. The proposed architecture provides traffic steering mechanisms based on individual context data per end-user device enabling the generation of individual commands and recommendations. In order to provide valuable services for the end-user, the commands and recommendations are distributed to the end-user devices in real-time. The proposed architecture does not require any proprietary protocols to facilitate its integration into the existing network infrastructure of a mobile network operator. The proposed architecture has been evaluated through a number of use cases. A proof-of-concept of the proposed architecture, including its core functionality, was implemented using the ns-3 network simulator. The simulation results have shown that the proposed architecture achieves improvements for traffic steering including traffic offload and handover. Further use cases have demonstrated that it is possible to achieve benefits in multiple other areas, such as for example improving the energy efficiency, improving frequency interference management, and providing additional or more accurate data to 3rd party to improve their services

Mobile Edge Cloud: Intelligent deployment and services for 5G Indoor Network

This thesis was submitted for the award of doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel University LondonFifth-Generation (5G) mobile networks are expected to perform according to the stringent performance targets assigned by standardization committees. Therefore, significant changes are proposed to the network infrastructure to achieve the expected performance levels. Network Function Virtualization, cloud computing and Software Defined Networks are some of the main technologies being utilised to ensure flexible network design, with optimum performance and efficient resource utilization. The aforementioned technologies are shifting the network architecture into service-based rather device-based architecture. In this regard, this thesis provides experimental investigation, design, implementation and evaluation of various multimedia services along with integration design and caching solution for 5G indoor network. The multimedia services are targeting the enhancement of UEs’ Quality of Experience, by exploiting the intelligence offered by the synergy between SDN and NFV technologies, to design and develop new multimedia solutions with improved QoE. The caching solution is designed to achieve a good trade-off between latency reduction and resource utilization that satisfies efficient network performance and resource utilization. The proposed network integration design targets deploying IoRL gNB with its innovative intelligent services. It have successfully achieved lower overhead signalling compared to the traditional network architectures. Whilst all of the proposed solutions have proven to provide enhancement to the system performance, the testing results for the multimedia services showed high QoS performance parameters in the form of zero packet loss due to route switching, very high throughput and 0.03 ms jitter. The caching solution test results provided up to 300% server utilization improvement (based on the deployed scenario) with negligible extra delay cost (0.5ms). As for the proposed integration design, the quantification of the performance enhancement is represented by the amount of the reduced overhead signalling. In the case of Intra-secondary gNB handover within the same Main eNB, the back-haul signalling for the AMF was reduced 100% while the overall overhead signalling is reduced by 50% compared to traditional deployment architecture.European Union’s Horizon 2020 research progra