Techno-Economic Analysis of 5G Deployment Scenarios involving Massive MIMO HetNets over mmWave: A Case Study on the US State of Texas

The fifth generation (5G) of mobile services envisages network heterogeneity, cell densification, and high spectral efficiency using Massive MIMO, operating at millimeter-wave frequencies. Accurately assessing the potential of financial returns for such a complex network poses to operators unique challenges including techno-economic analysis leading to the identification of decision variables most sensitive to the profitability parameters. Attempting to demystify their concerns, we evaluate the profitability potential for realistic 5G deployment scenarios over 28 GHz frequency in the State of Texas. Interestingly, we discover that the total cost of ownership for 5G network is about one-third of that for 4G LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) deployment, yielding estimated returns amounting to $482.14 million for the period 2020-2030. The sensitivity analyses predict profitability in 70% of the cases of 5G, against LTE-A. For operators, the crucial levers having the maximum impact on profitability are decisions pertaining to the spectrum acquisition and the pricing of services

5G network slicing for rural connectivity: multi-tenancy in wireless networks

As the need for wireless broadband continues to grow around the world, there is an increasing focus to minimise the existing digital divide and ensuring that everyone receives high-quality internet services, especially the inhabitants of rural areas. As a result, different technological solutions are being studied and trialled for improving rural connectivity, such as 5G with dynamic spectrum access. One of the architectures of 5G is network slicing, which supports network virtualisation and consists of independent logical networks, called slices, on the 5G network. Network slicing supports the multi-tenancy of different operators on the same physical network, and this feature is known as neutral host networks (NHN). It allows multiple operators to co-exist on the same physical network but on different virtual networks to serve end users. Generally, the 5G NHN deployment is handled by an infrastructure provider (InP), who could be a mobile network operator (MNO), an Internet service provider, a third-party operator, etc. At the same time, potential tenants would lease slices from the InP. The NHN strategy would help reduce resource duplication and increase the utilisation of existing resources. The existing research into NHN for small cells, in-building connectivity solutions, and other deployment scenarios help to understand the technological and business requirements. End-to-end sharing across operators to provide services to their end users is another innovative application of 5G NHN that has been tested for dense areas. Meanwhile, the feasibility and policy impact of NHN is not studied extensively for the rural scenario. The research in this thesis examines the use of NHN in macro- and small-cell networks for 5G communication systems to minimise the digital divide, with a special focus on rural areas. The study also presents and analyses the 5G multi-tenancy system design for the rural wireless scenario, focusing mainly on exploring suitable business cases through network economics, techno-economic study, and game theory analysis. The results obtained from the study, such as cost analysis, business models, sensitivity analysis, and pricing strategies, help in formulating the policy on infrastructure sharing to improve rural connectivity. The contributions of the thesis are useful for stakeholders and policymakers to assess the suitability of the rural 5G NHN by exploring state-of-the-art technologies, techno-economic analysis, sensitivity analysis, newer business models, investment assessment, cost allocation, and risk sharing. Initially, the research gap is highlighted through the extensive literature review and stakeholders’ views on rural connectivity collected from discussions with them. First, the in-depth discussion on the network economics of the rural 5G NHN includes the study of potential future scenarios, value network configurations, spectrum access strategy models, and business models. Secondly, the techno-economic analysis studies the key performance indicators (KPI), cost analysis, return on investment, net present value, and sensitivity analysis, with the application for the rural parts of the UK and India. Finally, the game theory framework includes the study of strategic interaction among the two key stakeholders, InP and the MNO, using models such as investment games and pricing strategies during multi-tenancy. The research concludes by presenting the contribution towards the knowledge and future work.As the need for wireless broadband continues to grow around the world, there is an increasing focus to minimise the existing digital divide and ensuring that everyone receives high-quality internet services, especially the inhabitants of rural areas. As a result, different technological solutions are being studied and trialled for improving rural connectivity, such as 5G with dynamic spectrum access. One of the architectures of 5G is network slicing, which supports network virtualisation and consists of independent logical networks, called slices, on the 5G network. Network slicing supports the multi-tenancy of different operators on the same physical network, and this feature is known as neutral host networks (NHN). It allows multiple operators to co-exist on the same physical network but on different virtual networks to serve end users. Generally, the 5G NHN deployment is handled by an infrastructure provider (InP), who could be a mobile network operator (MNO), an Internet service provider, a third-party operator, etc. At the same time, potential tenants would lease slices from the InP. The NHN strategy would help reduce resource duplication and increase the utilisation of existing resources. The existing research into NHN for small cells, in-building connectivity solutions, and other deployment scenarios help to understand the technological and business requirements. End-to-end sharing across operators to provide services to their end users is another innovative application of 5G NHN that has been tested for dense areas. Meanwhile, the feasibility and policy impact of NHN is not studied extensively for the rural scenario. The research in this thesis examines the use of NHN in macro- and small-cell networks for 5G communication systems to minimise the digital divide, with a special focus on rural areas. The study also presents and analyses the 5G multi-tenancy system design for the rural wireless scenario, focusing mainly on exploring suitable business cases through network economics, techno-economic study, and game theory analysis. The results obtained from the study, such as cost analysis, business models, sensitivity analysis, and pricing strategies, help in formulating the policy on infrastructure sharing to improve rural connectivity. The contributions of the thesis are useful for stakeholders and policymakers to assess the suitability of the rural 5G NHN by exploring state-of-the-art technologies, techno-economic analysis, sensitivity analysis, newer business models, investment assessment, cost allocation, and risk sharing. Initially, the research gap is highlighted through the extensive literature review and stakeholders’ views on rural connectivity collected from discussions with them. First, the in-depth discussion on the network economics of the rural 5G NHN includes the study of potential future scenarios, value network configurations, spectrum access strategy models, and business models. Secondly, the techno-economic analysis studies the key performance indicators (KPI), cost analysis, return on investment, net present value, and sensitivity analysis, with the application for the rural parts of the UK and India. Finally, the game theory framework includes the study of strategic interaction among the two key stakeholders, InP and the MNO, using models such as investment games and pricing strategies during multi-tenancy. The research concludes by presenting the contribution towards the knowledge and future work

Techno‐economic analysis of 5G immersive media services in cloud‐enabled small cell networks: the neutral host business model

Fifth generation (5G) envisages a “hyperconnected society” with an enormous number of interconnected devices, anywhere and at any time. Edge computing plays a pivotal role in this vision, enabling low latency, large traffic volumes, and improved quality of experience. The advent of 5G and edge computing encourages vertical industries to develop innovative services, which can meet the challenging demands coming from consumers. However, economic feasibility is the ultimate factor that determines the viability of a new service. Hence, effective techniques for the economic assessment of such services are needed. This paper analyzes the provision of immersive media services in crowded events, through a cloud‐enabled small cell network owned by a neutral host, and offered in multitenancy to different mobile network operators. We initially develop a planning model to predict the required compute, storage, and radio resources. Taking into account dynamic factors such as service penetration and price evolution, we then provide a number of economic indices, such as net present value, internal rate of return, and expected payback period to assess the viability of a potential investment in a 5G infrastructure for immersive media services. The presented analysis will guide small cell network operators in the provision of 5G innovative media services

Techno-economic assessment of 5G infrastructure sharing business models in rural areas

How cost-efficient are potential infrastructure sharing business models for the 5G era (and beyond)? This significant question needs to be addressed if we are to deliver universal affordable broadband in line with Target 9.1 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Although almost two-thirds of the global population is now connected, many users still lack access to high-speed and reliable broadband connectivity. Indeed, some of the largest connectivity issues are associated with those living in areas of low economic viability. Consequently, this assessment evaluates the cost implications of different infrastructure sharing business models using a techno-economic assessment framework. The results indicate that a rural 5G neutral host network (NHN) strategy helps to reduce total cost between 10 and 50% compared with other sharing strategies. We also find that, compared to a baseline strategy with No Sharing, the net present value of rural 5G sharing strategies can earn between 30 and 90% more profit. The network upgrades to 5G using various sharing strategies are most sensitive to changes in the average revenue per user, the adoption rate, and the amount of existing site infrastructure. For example, the results from this study show that a 20% variation in demand revenue is estimated to increase the net present value of the sharing strategies by 2–5 times compared to the No Sharing strategy. Similarly, a 10% increase in existing infrastructure lowers the net present value by 8–30%. The infrastructure sharing strategies outlined in this study have the potential to enhance network viability while bridging the digital divide in remote and rural locations

An Innovative RAN Architecture for Emerging Heterogeneous Networks: The Road to the 5G Era

The global demand for mobile-broadband data services has experienced phenomenal growth over the last few years, driven by the rapid proliferation of smart devices such as smartphones and tablets. This growth is expected to continue unabated as mobile data traffic is predicted to grow anywhere from 20 to 50 times over the next 5 years. Exacerbating the problem is that such unprecedented surge in smartphones usage, which is characterized by frequent short on/off connections and mobility, generates heavy signaling traffic load in the network signaling storms . This consumes a disproportion amount of network resources, compromising network throughput and efficiency, and in extreme cases can cause the Third-Generation (3G) or 4G (long-term evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A)) cellular networks to crash. As the conventional approaches of improving the spectral efficiency and/or allocation additional spectrum are fast approaching their theoretical limits, there is a growing consensus that current 3G and 4G (LTE/LTE-A) cellular radio access technologies (RATs) won\u27t be able to meet the anticipated growth in mobile traffic demand. To address these challenges, the wireless industry and standardization bodies have initiated a roadmap for transition from 4G to 5G cellular technology with a key objective to increase capacity by 1000Ã? by 2020 . Even though the technology hasn\u27t been invented yet, the hype around 5G networks has begun to bubble. The emerging consensus is that 5G is not a single technology, but rather a synergistic collection of interworking technical innovations and solutions that collectively address the challenge of traffic growth. The core emerging ingredients that are widely considered the key enabling technologies to realize the envisioned 5G era, listed in the order of importance, are: 1) Heterogeneous networks (HetNets); 2) flexible backhauling; 3) efficient traffic offload techniques; and 4) Self Organizing Networks (SONs). The anticipated solutions delivered by efficient interworking/ integration of these enabling technologies are not simply about throwing more resources and /or spectrum at the challenge. The envisioned solution, however, requires radically different cellular RAN and mobile core architectures that efficiently and cost-effectively deploy and manage radio resources as well as offload mobile traffic from the overloaded core network. The main objective of this thesis is to address the key techno-economics challenges facing the transition from current Fourth-Generation (4G) cellular technology to the 5G era in the context of proposing a novel high-risk revolutionary direction to the design and implementation of the envisioned 5G cellular networks. The ultimate goal is to explore the potential and viability of cost-effectively implementing the 1000x capacity challenge while continuing to provide adequate mobile broadband experience to users. Specifically, this work proposes and devises a novel PON-based HetNet mobile backhaul RAN architecture that: 1) holistically addresses the key techno-economics hurdles facing the implementation of the envisioned 5G cellular technology, specifically, the backhauling and signaling challenges; and 2) enables, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, the support of efficient ground-breaking mobile data and signaling offload techniques, which significantly enhance the performance of both the HetNet-based RAN and LTE-A\u27s core network (Evolved Packet Core (EPC) per 3GPP standard), ensure that core network equipment is used more productively, and moderate the evolving 5G\u27s signaling growth and optimize its impact. To address the backhauling challenge, we propose a cost-effective fiber-based small cell backhaul infrastructure, which leverages existing fibered and powered facilities associated with a PON-based fiber-to-the-Node/Home (FTTN/FTTH)) residential access network. Due to the sharing of existing valuable fiber assets, the proposed PON-based backhaul architecture, in which the small cells are collocated with existing FTTN remote terminals (optical network units (ONUs)), is much more economical than conventional point-to-point (PTP) fiber backhaul designs. A fully distributed ring-based EPON architecture is utilized here as the fiber-based HetNet backhaul. The techno-economics merits of utilizing the proposed PON-based FTTx access HetNet RAN architecture versus that of traditional 4G LTE-A\u27s RAN will be thoroughly examined and quantified. Specifically, we quantify the techno-economics merits of the proposed PON-based HetNet backhaul by comparing its performance versus that of a conventional fiber-based PTP backhaul architecture as a benchmark. It is shown that the purposely selected ring-based PON architecture along with the supporting distributed control plane enable the proposed PON-based FTTx RAN architecture to support several key salient networking features that collectively significantly enhance the overall performance of both the HetNet-based RAN and 4G LTE-A\u27s core (EPC) compared to that of the typical fiber-based PTP backhaul architecture in terms of handoff capability, signaling overhead, overall network throughput and latency, and QoS support. It will also been shown that the proposed HetNet-based RAN architecture is not only capable of providing the typical macro-cell offloading gain (RAN gain) but also can provide ground-breaking EPC offloading gain. The simulation results indicate that the overall capacity of the proposed HetNet scales with the number of deployed small cells, thanks to LTE-A\u27s advanced interference management techniques. For example, if there are 10 deployed outdoor small cells for every macrocell in the network, then the overall capacity will be approximately 10-11x capacity gain over a macro-only network. To reach the 1000x capacity goal, numerous small cells including 3G, 4G, and WiFi (femtos, picos, metros, relays, remote radio heads, distributed antenna systems) need to be deployed indoors and outdoors, at all possible venues (residences and enterprises)

Soluções partilhadas para redes de telecomunicações

Mestrado em Engenharia Eletrónica e de TelecomunicaçõesDespite the substantial increase in the percentage of the globe surface covered by mobile communications, there are issues that have hampered the implementation and development of cellular networks in regions where the market and economic power are still under development. Many of these issues are of economic and financial nature. It is curiously a contradictory fact, since mobile communications on several occasions proved to be a great ally for the growth and economic development of this type of regions. Therefore, in situations such as these, where the development or installation of cellular networks is blocked or conditioned by economic and financial factors, the adoption of infrastructure or service sharing methods can facilitate the implementation and expansion of cellular networks in these regions. The work developed in this dissertation seeks to identify and study the most common methods of cellular network sharing. Through the use of a numerical tool, the effects and techno-economic benefits that each sharing method will bring to the operators interested in entering markets with these characteristics will be analyzed.Apesar do crescente aumento da superfície terrestre coberta pelas comunicações móveis, há questões que têm dificultado à implementação e desenvolvimento das redes celulares nas regiões onde o mercado e o poder económico ainda estão em desenvolvimento. Muitas dessas questões são de carácter económico e financeiro. O que se torna, curiosamente, um facto contraditório, uma vez que as comunicações móveis em diversas ocasiões provaram ser um grande aliado para o crescimento e desenvolvimento económico deste tipo de regiões. Portanto para situações como estas, onde o desenvolvimento ou instalação de redes celulares é travado ou condicionado por factores de carácter económico e financeiro, a adopção de métodos de partilha de infraestruturas ou serviços consegue facilitar a implementação e expansão de redes celulares nestas regiões. O trabalho desenvolvido nesta dissertação procura identificar e estudar os métodos mais comum de partilha. Através do uso de uma ferramenta de cálculo, analisam-se também os efeitos e benefícios económicos que cada método de partilha trará para os operadores interessados em entrar em mercados com características aqui consideradas

Statistical Analysis and Optimization of a Fifth-Percentile User Rate Constrained Design for FFR/SFR-Aided OFDMA-Based Cellular Networks

Interference mitigation strategies are deemed to play a key role in the context of the next generation (B4G/5G) of multicellular networks based on orthogonal frequency division multiple access. Fractional and soft frequency reuse (FFR, SFR) constitute two powerful mechanisms for intercell interference coordination that have been already adopted by emerging cellular deployments as an efficient way to improve the throughput performance perceived by cell-edge users. This paper presents a novel optimal fifth-percentile user rate constrained design for FFR/SFR-based networks that, by appropriately dimensioning the center and edge regions of the cell, rightly splitting the available bandwidth among these two areas while assigning the corresponding transmit power, allows a tradeoff between cell throughput performance and fairness to be established. To this end, both the cumulative distribution function of the user throughput and the average spectral efficiency of the system are derived assuming the use of the ubiquitous proportional fair scheduling policy. The mathematical framework is then used to obtain numerical results showing that the novel proposed design clearly outperforms previous schemes in terms of throughput fairness control due to a more rational compromise between average cell throughput and cell-edge ICIC