A survey of machine learning techniques applied to self organizing cellular networks

In this paper, a survey of the literature of the past fifteen years involving Machine Learning (ML) algorithms applied to self organizing cellular networks is performed. In order for future networks to overcome the current limitations and address the issues of current cellular systems, it is clear that more intelligence needs to be deployed, so that a fully autonomous and flexible network can be enabled. This paper focuses on the learning perspective of Self Organizing Networks (SON) solutions and provides, not only an overview of the most common ML techniques encountered in cellular networks, but also manages to classify each paper in terms of its learning solution, while also giving some examples. The authors also classify each paper in terms of its self-organizing use-case and discuss how each proposed solution performed. In addition, a comparison between the most commonly found ML algorithms in terms of certain SON metrics is performed and general guidelines on when to choose each ML algorithm for each SON function are proposed. Lastly, this work also provides future research directions and new paradigms that the use of more robust and intelligent algorithms, together with data gathered by operators, can bring to the cellular networks domain and fully enable the concept of SON in the near future

Thirty Years of Machine Learning: The Road to Pareto-Optimal Wireless Networks

Future wireless networks have a substantial potential in terms of supporting a broad range of complex compelling applications both in military and civilian fields, where the users are able to enjoy high-rate, low-latency, low-cost and reliable information services. Achieving this ambitious goal requires new radio techniques for adaptive learning and intelligent decision making because of the complex heterogeneous nature of the network structures and wireless services. Machine learning (ML) algorithms have great success in supporting big data analytics, efficient parameter estimation and interactive decision making. Hence, in this article, we review the thirty-year history of ML by elaborating on supervised learning, unsupervised learning, reinforcement learning and deep learning. Furthermore, we investigate their employment in the compelling applications of wireless networks, including heterogeneous networks (HetNets), cognitive radios (CR), Internet of things (IoT), machine to machine networks (M2M), and so on. This article aims for assisting the readers in clarifying the motivation and methodology of the various ML algorithms, so as to invoke them for hitherto unexplored services as well as scenarios of future wireless networks.Comment: 46 pages, 22 fig

From MFN to SFN: Performance Prediction Through Machine Learning

In the last decade, the transition of digital terrestrial television (DTT) systems from multi-frequency networks (MFNs) to single-frequency networks (SFNs) has become a reality. SFN offers multiple advantages concerning MFN, such as more efficient management of the radioelectric spectrum, homogenizing the network parameters, and a potential SFN gain. However, the transition process can be cumbersome for operators due to the multiple measurement campaigns and required finetuning of the final SFN system to ensure the desired quality of service. To avoid time-consuming field measurements and reduce the costs associated with the SFN implementation, this paper aims to predict the performance of an SFN system from the legacy MFN and position data through machine learning (ML) algorithms. It is proposed a ML concatenated structure based on classification and regression to predict SFN electric-field strength, modulation error ratio, and gain. The model's training and test process are performed with a dataset from an SFN/MFN trial in Ghent, Belgium. Multiple algorithms have been tuned and compared to extract the data patterns and select the most accurate algorithms. The best performance to predict the SFN electric-field strength is obtained with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.93, modulation error ratio of 0.98, and SFN gain of 0.89 starting from MFN parameters and position data. The proposed method allows classifying the data points according to positive or negative SFN gain with an accuracy of 0.97

Data analytics for mobile traffic in 5G networks using machine learning techniques

This thesis collects the research works I pursued as Ph.D. candidate at the Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC). Most of the work has been accomplished at the Mobile Network Department Centre Tecnologic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC). The main topic of my research is the study of mobile network traffic through the analysis of operative networks dataset using machine learning techniques. Understanding first the actual network deployments is fundamental for next-generation network (5G) for improving the performance and Quality of Service (QoS) of the users. The work starts from the collection of a novel type of dataset, using an over-the-air monitoring tool, that allows to extract the control information from the radio-link channel, without harming the users’ identities. The subsequent analysis comprehends a statistical characterization of the traffic and the derivation of prediction models for the network traffic. A wide group of algorithms are implemented and compared, in order to identify the highest performances. Moreover, the thesis addresses a set of applications in the context mobile networks that are prerogatives in the future mobile networks. This includes the detection of urban anomalies, the user classification based on the demanded network services, the design of a proactive wake-up scheme for efficient-energy devices.Esta tesis recoge los trabajos de investigación que realicé como Ph.D. candidato a la Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC). La mayor parte del trabajo se ha realizado en el Centro Tecnológico de Telecomunicaciones de Catalunya (CTTC) del Departamento de Redes Móviles. El tema principal de mi investigación es el estudio del tráfico de la red móvil a través del análisis del conjunto de datos de redes operativas utilizando técnicas de aprendizaje automático. Comprender primero las implementaciones de red reales es fundamental para la red de próxima generación (5G) para mejorar el rendimiento y la calidad de servicio (QoS) de los usuarios. El trabajo comienza con la recopilación de un nuevo tipo de conjunto de datos, utilizando una herramienta de monitoreo por aire, que permite extraer la información de control del canal de radioenlace, sin dañar las identidades de los usuarios. El análisis posterior comprende una caracterización estadística del tráfico y la derivación de modelos de predicción para el tráfico de red. Se implementa y compara un amplio grupo de algoritmos para identificar los rendimientos más altos. Además, la tesis aborda un conjunto de aplicaciones en el contexto de redes móviles que son prerrogativas en las redes móviles futuras. Esto incluye la detección de anomalías urbanas, la clasificación de usuarios basada en los servicios de red demandados, el diseño de un esquema de activación proactiva para dispositivos de energía eficiente.Postprint (published version