Location-specific Spectrum Sharing in Heterogeneous Networks

The popularity of wireless mobile communication with enormous production of smart devices and applications increases the number of users in the wireless network. This increase of mobile users in the wireless network results insatiable demand for additional bandwidth. To improve network capacity of mobile operators efficient use of spectrum is critical. To improve the system capacity of operators and to provide flexible use of spectrum, we investigate a localized spectrum sharing between operators located at the same geographical area. We provide a coordination mechanism for operators to form a common spectrum pool and to use it dynamically. The coordination between the operators is modeled using a game theoretical approach in a non-cooperative basis. We study the spectrum sharing at localized and non-localized level, where at localized level operators agree on spectrum sharing at small scale. In localized spectrum sharing operators share their spectrum at smaller areas, when compared to non-localized spectrum sharing. Through numerical simulation, we analyze the performance of localized and non-localized spectrum sharing in comparison to the default orthogonal spectrum sharing mechanism. From the simulation results, we conclude that localized spectrum sharing outperforms non-localized spectrum sharing. Thus, spectrum sharing at smaller areas provides a better performance improvement than spectrum sharing at larger geographical areas

In-Building Capacity Enhancement using Small Cells in Mobile Networks: An Overview

In this paper, we give an overview of the state-of-the-art research studies to present the potential of small cells to address the high capacity demands of in-building users in mobile networks. In doing so, we discuss relevant theoretical backgrounds and carry out performance evaluations of key enabling technologies along with three major directions toward improving the network capacity, including spectrum accessibility, Spectral Efficiency (SE) improvement, and network densification. For the spectrum accessibility, numerous types of Small Cell Base Station (SBS) architectures of a Mobile Network Operator (MNO) are evaluated. For the SE improvement, cognitive radio techniques are evaluated for the Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) among multiple MNOs in a country. For the network densification, the spectrum reuse is evaluated at both intra-and inter-building levels for a given Co-Channel Interference (CCI) constraint. It is shown that multi-band multi-transceiver enabled small cells operating in the high-frequency millimeter-wave licensed or unlicensed spectrum to realize DSS techniques by exploiting SBS architectures for the spectrum accessibility, a hybrid interweave-underlay spectrum access in Cognitive Radio Networks for the spectral efficiency improvement, and both vertical and horizontal spectrum reuse in small cells deployed densely within buildings for the network densification can address high capacity demand in indoor mobile networks

A Planning and Optimization Framework for Hybrid Ultra-Dense Network Topologies

The deployment of small cells has been a critical upgrade in Fourth Generation (4G) mobile networks as they provide macrocell traffic offloading gains, improved spectrum reuse and reduce coverage holes. The need for small cells will be even more critical in Fifth Generation (5G) networks due to the introduction of higher spectrum bands, which necessitate denser network deployments to support larger traffic volumes per unit area. A network densification scenario envisioned for evolved fourth and fifth generation networks is the deployment of Ultra-Dense Networks (UDNs) with small cell site densities exceeding 90 sites/km2 (or inter-site distances of less than 112 m). The careful planning and optimization of ultra-dense networks topologies have been known to significantly improve the achievable performance compared to completely random (unplanned) ultra-dense network deployments by various third-part stakeholders (e.g. home owners). However, these well-planned and optimized ultra-dense network deployments are difficult to realize in practice due to various constraints, such as limited or no access to preferred optimum small cell site locations in a given service area. The hybrid ultra-dense network topologies provide an interesting trade-off, whereby, an ultra-dense network may constitute a combination of operator optimized small cell deployments that are complemented by random small cell deployments by third-parties. In this study, an ultra-dense network multiobjective optimization framework and post-deployment power optimization approach are developed for realization and performance comparison of random, optimized and hybrid ultra-dense network topologies in a realistic urban case study area. The results of the case study demonstrate how simple transmit power optimization enable hybrid ultra-dense network topologies to achieve performance almost comparable to optimized topologies whilst also providing the convenience benefits of random small cell deployments