Traffic Adaptation and Energy Efficiency for Small Cell Networks with Dynamic TDD

The traffic in current wireless networks exhibits large variations in uplink (UL) and downlink (DL), which brings huge challenges to network operators in efficiently allocating radio resources. Dynamic time-division duplex (TDD) is considered as a promising scheme that is able to adjust the resource allocation to the instantaneous UL and DL traffic conditions, also known as traffic adaptation. In this work, we study how traffic adaptation and energy harvesting can improve the energy efficiency (EE) in multi-antenna small cell networks operating dynamic TDD. Given the queue length distribution of small cell access points (SAPs) and mobile users (MUs), we derive the optimal UL/DL configuration to minimize the service time of a typical small cell, and show that the UL/DL configuration that minimizes the service time also results in an optimal network EE, but does not necessarily achieve the optimal EE for SAP or MU individually. To further enhance the network EE, we provide SAPs with energy harvesting capabilities, and model the status of harvested energy at each SAP using a Markov chain. We derive the availability of the rechargeable battery under several battery utilization strategies, and observe that energy harvesting can significantly improve the network EE in the low traffic load regime. In summary, the proposed analytical framework allows us to elucidate the relationship between traffic adaptation and network EE in future dense networks with dynamic TDD. With this work, we quantify the potential benefits of traffic adaptation and energy harvesting in terms of service time and EE

Control-data separation architecture for cellular radio access networks: a survey and outlook

Conventional cellular systems are designed to ensure ubiquitous coverage with an always present wireless channel irrespective of the spatial and temporal demand of service. This approach raises several problems due to the tight coupling between network and data access points, as well as the paradigm shift towards data-oriented services, heterogeneous deployments and network densification. A logical separation between control and data planes is seen as a promising solution that could overcome these issues, by providing data services under the umbrella of a coverage layer. This article presents a holistic survey of existing literature on the control-data separation architecture (CDSA) for cellular radio access networks. As a starting point, we discuss the fundamentals, concepts, and general structure of the CDSA. Then, we point out limitations of the conventional architecture in futuristic deployment scenarios. In addition, we present and critically discuss the work that has been done to investigate potential benefits of the CDSA, as well as its technical challenges and enabling technologies. Finally, an overview of standardisation proposals related to this research vision is provided

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