System-Level Analysis of Energy and Performance Trade-offs in mmWave 5G NR Systems

Energy efficiency and service reliability are two critical requirements for 5G New Radio cellular access. To address the latter, 3GPP has proposed multiconnectivity operation allowing user equipment (UE) to maintain active links to more than a single base station. However, the use of this technique compromises the energy efficiency of UE. In this paper, we develop a mathematical model capturing key energy and performance indicators as a function of system and environmental conditions. Then, we apply it to investigate the trade-offs between user performance and energy efficiency as well as the effect of scaling of discontinuous reception (DRX) timers. For a considered set of system parameters, our results reveal that for low micromobility speed ≤ 0.1° /s and blockers density, ≤ 0.1 bl./m2 two simultaneously supported links with minimal DRX timers lead to optimal performance. For higher blockers density more than two links are needed to optimize energy efficiency while for high micromobility speed multiconnectivity does not allow to improve energy efficiency at all. Thus, the optimal degree of multiconnectivity and DRX timer scaling coefficients depend on the environmental characteristics including both micromobility speed and density of blockers and need to be dynamically updated during UE operation.Peer reviewe

Overview of UMTS network evolution through radio and transmission feature validation

This project is based on several UMTS network feature validation with the aim to provide an end-to-end in-depth knowledge overview gained in parallel in the areas of radio network mobility processes (cell camping and inter-system handover), Quality of Service improvement for HSPA data users and transport network evolution towards the All-IP era.Hardware and software validation is a key step in the relationship between the mobile network operator and the vendor. Through this verification process, while executing that functionality or testing a specific hardware, the difference between the actual result and expected result can be better understood and, in turn, this in-depth knowledge acquisition is translated into a tailored usage of the product in the operator’s live network. As a result, validation helps in building a better product as per the customer’s requirement and helps satisfying their needs, which positively impacts in the future evolution of the vendor product roadmap implementation process for a specific customer. This project is based on several Universal Mobile Telecommunication Services (UMTS) network feature validation with the aim to provide an end-to-end in-depth knowledge overview gained in parallel in the areas of radio network mobility processes (cell camping and inter-system handover), Quality of Service improvement for High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSPA) data users and transport network evolution towards the All-IP era.Las campañas de validación hardware y software son un paso clave en las relaciones comerciales establecidas entre un operador de telecomunicaciones y su proveedor de equipos de red. Durante los procesos de certificación, mientras se ejecuta una funcionalidad software o se valida un determinado hardware, se obtiene un conocimiento profundo de la diferencia entre el resultado obtenido y el esperado, repercutiendo directamente en un uso a medida de dicha funcionalidad o hardware en la propia red del cliente. Como consecuencia de lo anterior, podemos aseverar que los procesos de validación permiten en gran medida al proveedor adaptarse mejor a los requerimientos del cliente, ayudando a satisfacer realmente sus necesidades. Esto implica directamente un impacto positivo en la futura evolución del portfolio que el fabricante ofrece a un determinado cliente. Este proyecto está basado en la validación de diferentes funcionalidades de red UMTS, cuyo objetivo es proporcionar un conocimiento global de distintos aspectos que conforman el funcionamiento de una red de telecomunicaciones 3G, como son los procesos de movilidad de acceso radio (acampado de red y handover inter-sistema), las mejoras en la calidad de servicio para usuarios de datos HSPA y la convergencia de la red de transporte hacia la era IP.Els processos de validació hardware i software són un punt clau en les relacions comercials establertes entre un operador de telecomunicaciones i el proveïdor d'equipament de la xarxa. En el transcurs dels processos de certificació, a la mateixa vegada que s'executa una funcionalitat software o es valida un determinat hardware, s'obtenen grans coneixements respecte la diferència entre el resultat obtingut i l'esperat, que són d'aplicació directa a l'hora d'establir un ús adpatat a la xarxa del client. En conseqüència, podem asseverar que les campanyes de validació permeten en gran mesura al proveïdor adaptar-se millor als requeriments del client, ajudant a satisfer realment les seves necessitats. Això implica directament un impacte positiu en la futura evol.lució del portfoli que el fabricant ofereix a un determinat client. Aquest projecte es basa en la presentació d'un procès de validació de diferents funcionalitats relacionades amb la xarxa UMTS, amb l'objectiu de proporcionar un coneixement global de la varietat d'aspectes que conformen el funcionament d'una xarxa de telecomunicacions 3G, com són els processos de mobilitat en accès radio (acampat de l'usuari i handover inter-sistema), millores en la qualitat de servei per a usuaris de dades HSPA i la convergència de la xarxa de transport cap a l'era IP

Measurements and Analysis of YouTube Traffic Profile and Energy Usage with LTE DRX Mode

In this thesis, YouTube data profile is examined in order to find transmitting patterns which could be used for increasing transmission efficiency during video transmission. The emphasis is on Discontinuous Reception (DRX) and a promotion timer, which is in control when a mobile station moves from the RRC_CONNECTED state to the RRC_IDLE state in Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks. After the measurements and a result analysis, a new Matlab model for YouTube data transmission is presented. Additionally, another model for YouTube energy calculations in LTE network is derived. The studies indicate that 97 % of YouTube traffic is transmitted in two parallel Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) streams. There is a 10-second speedup phase where 20 % of the video is transmitted at the beginning of the transfer that is followed by a steady phase where idle and transmission periods alternate. All of the video data has been delivered when 74 % of the viewing has elapsed. There are also dozens of small TCP streams that break idle periods into a few seconds. Delaying transmission of these small TCP streams allows longer idle periods and can result in up to 30 % energy savings with small promotion timer values

Service Continuity in 3GPP Mobile Networks

The mobile wireless communication network or cellular network landscape is changing gradually from homogeneous to heterogeneous. Future generation networks are envisioned to be a combination of diverse but complimentary access technologies, like GPRS, WCDMA/HSPA, LTE and WLAN. These technologies came up due to the need to increase capacity in cellular networks and recently driven by the proliferation of smart devices which require a lot of bandwidth. The traditional mechanisms to increase capacity in cellular networks have been to upgrade the networks by, e.g. adding small cells solutions or introducing new radio access technologies to regions requiring lots of capacity, but this has not eradicated the problem entirely. The integration of heterogeneous networks poses some challenges such as allocating resources efficiently and enabling seamless handovers between heterogeneous technologies. One issue which has become apparent recently with the proliferation of different link layer technologies is how service providers can offer a consistent service across heterogeneous networks. Service continuity between different radio access technologies systems is identified as one key research item.  The knowledge of the service offering in current and future networks, and supporting interworking technologies is paramount to understand how service continuity will be realized across different radio access technologies. We investigate the handover procedure and performance in current deployed 3GPP heterogeneous mobile networks (2G, 3G and 4G networks). We perform measurements in the field and the lab and measure the handover latency for User Datagram Protocol (UDP) and Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) applications. The results show that intersystem handover latencies in and across 2G and 3G radio access technologies are too long and have an impact on real time packet switched (PS) real-time services. We also investigate the current proposed interworking and handover schemes in 2G, 3G and 4G networks and present their limitations. We further highlight some open issues that still need to be addressed in order to improve handover performance and provide service continuity across heterogeneous mobile wireless networks such as selection of optimal radio access technology and adaptation of multimedia transmission over heterogeneous technologies. We present the enhancements required to enable service continuity and provide a better quality of user experience. 

Performance and Power Characterization of Cellular Networks and Mobile Application Optimizations.

Smartphones with cellular data access have become increasingly popular with the wide variety of mobile applications. However, the performance and power footprint of these mobile applications are not well-understood, and due to the unawareness of the cellular specific characteristics, many of these applications are causing inefficient radio resource and device energy usage. In this dissertation, we aim at providing a suite of systematic methodology and tools to better understand the performance and power characteristics of cellular networks (3G and the new LTE 4G networks) and the mobile applications relying upon, and to optimize the mobile application design based on this understanding. We have built the MobiPerf tool to understand the characteristics of cellular networks. With this knowledge, we make detailed analysis on smartphone application performance via controlled experiments and via a large-scale data set from one major U.S. cellular carrier. To understand the power footprint of mobile applications, we have derived comprehensive power models for different network types and characterize radio energy usage of various smartphone applications via both controlled experiments and 7-month-long traces collected from 20 real users. Specifically, we characterize the radio and energy impact of the network traffic generated when the phone screen is off and propose the screen-aware traffic optimization. In addition to shedding light to the mobile application design throughout our characterization analysis, we further design and implement a real optimization system RadioProphet, which uses historical traffic features to make predictions and intelligently deallocate radio resource for improved radio and energy efficiency.PhDComputer Science & EngineeringUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/99905/1/hjx_1.pd

Energy Efficiency in Communications and Networks

The topic of "Energy Efficiency in Communications and Networks" attracts growing attention due to economical and environmental reasons. The amount of power consumed by information and communication technologies (ICT) is rapidly increasing, as well as the energy bill of service providers. According to a number of studies, ICT alone is responsible for a percentage which varies from 2% to 10% of the world power consumption. Thus, driving rising cost and sustainability concerns about the energy footprint of the IT infrastructure. Energy-efficiency is an aspect that until recently was only considered for battery driven devices. Today we see energy-efficiency becoming a pervasive issue that will need to be considered in all technology areas from device technology to systems management. This book is seeking to provide a compilation of novel research contributions on hardware design, architectures, protocols and algorithms that will improve the energy efficiency of communication devices and networks and lead to a more energy proportional technology infrastructure

WCDMA Mobility Troubleshooting Studies and Enhancements

Mobiliteetti on yksi WCDMA-teknologian menestyksen avaintekijöistä. Saumattoman liikkuvuuden ylläpitämiseksi radioresurssien hallinnan algoritmit ovat tärkeässä roolissa verkon hallinnassa. Yhdessä pääsyvalvonnan, kuormavalvonnan, pakettiskedulerin, resurssimanagerin ja tehovalvonnan kanssa kanavanvaihtoalgoritmit vastaavat laadukkaan, katkeamattoman yhteyden ylläpidosta. Nämä algoritmit on toteutettu radioverkko-ohjaimen (RNC) ohjelmistossa. Ohjelmiston elinkaaren aikana ohjelmiston eri osissa kohdataan erilaisia haasteita. Ohjelmiston lisäksi ongelmia voi löytyä myös radioverkon suunnittelusta, verkkolaitteistosta tai päätelaitteista. Kaikkien näiden ongelmien analysointiin vaaditaan kokeneita R&D-insinöörejä, eikä ongelmien varsinaisen aiheuttajan löytäminen usein ole yksinkertaista. Tämän takia erilaiset vianetsintätyökalut ovat ohjelmistokehityksessä ensisijaisen tärkeitä. Tämä diplomityö analysoi jo käytössä olevia vianetsintämenetelmiä NSN-WCDMA-Control Plane-Handover Algorithm -ryhmässä sekä esittää erilaisia paranneltuja ratkaisuja näihin menetelmiin. Tämän diplomityön tuloksena muutamia paranneltuja ratkaisuja toteutettiin ja muutamia muita ratkaisumalleja analysoitiin. Vianetsintätyökalujen sekä -menetelmien kehitys jatkuu tarkastellussa ohjelmistokehitysryhmässä myös tämän diplomityön valmistumisen jälkeen.Mobility is the key success area in WCDMA technology. To maintain seamless mobility, Radio Resource Management algorithms are essential in network management. Together with Admission Control, Load Control, Packet Scheduler, Resource Manager and Power Control algorithms, Handover Control algorithms are responsible for high quality seamless communication. These algorithms take place in the Radio Network Controller software. In software life-cycle there can be challenges related with different software program blocks. Other than software problems there can also be radio network planning problems, hardware problems and user-equipment related problems. Those issues have to be analyzed by experienced R&D engineers. Usually it is not straightforward to investigate what is the root cause. Because of this reason troubleshooting tools play a vital role in software development. This thesis analyzes the existing troubleshooting solutions in NSN-WCDMA-Control Plane-Handover Algorithm team and proposes enhanced solutions for those needs. As a result of this thesis, some of the enhanced solutions are implemented and analyses for the other solutions are provided. Development of troubleshooting tools and methodology will continue in the software development team after the completion of this thesis

D2.2 Draft Overall 5G RAN Design

This deliverable provides the consolidated preliminary view of the METIS-II partners on the 5 th generation (5G) radio access network (RAN) design at a mid-point of the project. The overall 5G RAN is envisaged to operate over a wide range of spectrum bands comprising of heterogeneous spectrum usage scenarios. More precisely, the 5G air interface (AI) is expected to be composed of multiple so-called AI variants (AIVs), which include evolved legacy technology such as Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE-A) as well as novel AIVs, which may be tailored to particular services or frequency bands.Arnold, P.; Bayer, N.; Belschner, J.; Rosowski, T.; Zimmermann, G.; Ericson, M.; Da Silva, IL.... (2016). D2.2 Draft Overall 5G RAN Design. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.17831.1424