2,459 research outputs found
Energy efficiency in heterogeneous wireless access networks
In this article, we bring forward the important aspect of energy savings in wireless access networks. We specifically focus on the energy saving opportunities in the recently evolving heterogeneous networks (HetNets), both Single- RAT and Multi-RAT. Issues such as sleep/wakeup cycles and interference management are discussed for co-channel Single-RAT HetNets. In addition to that, a simulation based study for LTE macro-femto HetNets is presented, indicating the need for dynamic energy efficient resource management schemes. Multi-RAT HetNets also come with challenges such as network integration, combined resource management and network selection. Along with a discussion on these challenges, we also investigate the performance of the conventional WLAN-first network selection mechanism in terms of energy efficiency (EE) and suggest that EE can be improved by the application of intelligent call admission control policies
Enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination Challenges in Heterogeneous Networks
3GPP LTE-Advanced has started a new study item to investigate Heterogeneous
Network (HetNet) deployments as a cost effective way to deal with the
unrelenting traffic demand. HetNets consist of a mix of macrocells, remote
radio heads, and low-power nodes such as picocells, femtocells, and relays.
Leveraging network topology, increasing the proximity between the access
network and the end-users, has the potential to provide the next significant
performance leap in wireless networks, improving spatial spectrum reuse and
enhancing indoor coverage. Nevertheless, deployment of a large number of small
cells overlaying the macrocells is not without new technical challenges. In
this article, we present the concept of heterogeneous networks and also
describe the major technical challenges associated with such network
architecture. We focus in particular on the standardization activities within
the 3GPP related to enhanced inter-cell interference coordination.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 2 table
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
Capacity Analysis of LTE-Advanced HetNets with Reduced Power Subframes and Range Expansion
The time domain inter-cell interference coordination techniques specified in
LTE Rel. 10 standard improves the throughput of picocell-edge users by
protecting them from macrocell interference. On the other hand, it also
degrades the aggregate capacity in macrocell because the macro base station
(MBS) does not transmit data during certain subframes known as almost blank
subframes. The MBS data transmission using reduced power subframes was
standardized in LTE Rel. 11, which can improve the capacity in macrocell while
not causing high interference to the nearby picocells. In order to get maximum
benefit from the reduced power subframes, setting the key system parameters,
such as the amount of power reduction, carries critical importance. Using
stochastic geometry, this paper lays down a theoretical foundation for the
performance evaluation of heterogeneous networks with reduced power subframes
and range expansion bias. The analytic expressions for average capacity and 5th
percentile throughput are derived as a function of transmit powers, node
densities, and interference coordination parameters in a heterogeneous network
scenario, and are validated through Monte Carlo simulations. Joint optimization
of range expansion bias, power reduction factor, scheduling thresholds, and
duty cycle of reduced power subframes are performed to study the trade-offs
between aggregate capacity of a cell and fairness among the users. To validate
our analysis, we also compare the stochastic geometry based theoretical results
with the real MBS deployment (in the city of London) and the hexagonal-grid
model. Our analysis shows that with optimum parameter settings, the LTE Rel. 11
with reduced power subframes can provide substantially better performance than
the LTE Rel. 10 with almost blank subframes, in terms of both aggregate
capacity and fairness.Comment: Submitted to EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and
Networking (JWCN
Joint Resource Allocation for eICIC in Heterogeneous Networks
Interference coordination between high-power macros and low-power picos
deeply impacts the performance of heterogeneous networks (HetNets). It should
deal with three challenges: user association with macros and picos, the amount
of almost blank subframe (ABS) that macros should reserve for picos, and
resource block (RB) allocation strategy in each eNB. We formulate the three
issues jointly for sum weighted logarithmic utility maximization while
maintaining proportional fairness of users. A class of distributed algorithms
are developed to solve the joint optimization problem. Our framework can be
deployed for enhanced inter-cell interference coordination (eICIC) in existing
LTE-A protocols. Extensive evaluation are performed to verify the effectiveness
of our algorithms.Comment: Accepted by Globecom 201
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