Hypergraph Theory: Applications in 5G Heterogeneous Ultra-Dense Networks

Heterogeneous ultra-dense network (HUDN) can significantly increase the spectral efficiency of cellular networks and cater for the explosive growth of data traffic in the fifth-generation (5G) communications. Due to the dense deployment of small cells (SCs), interference among neighboring cells becomes severe. As a result, the effective resource allocation and user association algorithms are essential to minimize inter-cell interference and optimize network performance. However, optimizing network resources in HUDN is extremely complicated as resource allocation and user association are coupled. Therefore, HUDN requires low-complexity but effective resource allocation schemes to address these issues. Hypergraph theory has been recognized as a useful mathematical tool to model the complex relations among multiple entities. In this article, we show how the hypergraph models can be used to effectively tackle resource allocation problems in HUDN. We also discuss several potential research issues in this field

Feasibility, Architecture and Cost Considerations of Using TVWS for Rural Internet Access in 5G

The cellular technology is mostly an urban technology that has been unable to serve rural areas well. This is because the traditional cellular models are not economical for areas with low user density and lesser revenues. In 5G cellular networks, the coverage dilemma is likely to remain the same, thus widening the rural-urban digital divide further. It is about time to identify the root cause that has hindered the rural technology growth and analyse the possible options in 5G architecture to address this issue. We advocate that it can only be accomplished in two phases by sequentially addressing economic viability followed by performance progression. We deliberate how various works in literature focus on the later stage of this ‘two-phase’ problem and are not feasible to implement in the first place. We propose the concept of TV band white space (TVWS) dovetailed with 5G infrastructure for rural coverage and show that it can yield cost-effectiveness from a service provider’s perspective

Complex Systems Science meets 5G and IoT

We propose a new paradigm for telecommunications, and develop a framework drawing on concepts from information (i.e., different metrics of complexity) and computational (i.e., agent based modeling) theory, adapted from complex system science. We proceed in a systematic fashion by dividing network complexity understanding and analysis into different layers. Modelling layer forms the foundation of the proposed framework, supporting analysis and tuning layers. The modelling layer aims at capturing the significant attributes of networks and the interactions that shape them, through the application of tools such as agent-based modelling and graph theoretical abstractions, to derive new metrics that holistically describe a network. The analysis phase completes the core functionality of the framework by linking our new metrics to the overall network performance. The tuning layer augments this core with algorithms that aim at automatically guiding networks toward desired conditions. In order to maximize the impact of our ideas, the proposed approach is rooted in relevant, near-future architectures and use cases in 5G networks, i.e., Internet of Things (IoT) and self-organizing cellular networks

Fundamentals of the Extremely Green, Flexible, and Profitable 5G M2M Ubiquitous Communications for Remote e-Healthcare and other Social e-Applications

The revolutionary trend of the up-to-date medicine can be formulated as wide introduction into basic medicine fields of electronic (e-health) and mobile (m-health) healthcare services and information applications. Unfortunately, all list of qualified m/e-healthcare services can be provided cost-effectively only in urban areas very good covered by broadband 4G/5G wireless communications. Unacceptably high investments are required into deployment of the optic core infrastructure for ubiquitous wide covering of sparsely populated rural, remote, and difficult for access (RRD) areas using the recent (4G) and forthcoming (5G) broadband radio access (RAN) centralized techniques, characterized by short cells ranges, because their profitability boundary exceeds several hundred residents per square km. Furthermore, the unprecedented requirements and new features of the forthcoming Internet of Things (IoT), machine-to-machine (M2M), and many other machine type IT-systems lead to a breakthrough in designing extremely green, flexible, and cost-effective technologies for future 5G wireless systems which will be able to reach in real time the performance extremums, trade-off optimums and fundamental limits. This paper examines the 5G PHY-MAC fundamentals and extremely approaches to creation of the profitable ubiquitous remote e/m-health services and telemedicine as the main innovation technology of popular healthcare and other social e-Applications for RRD territories. Proposed approaches lean on summarizing and develop the results of our previous works on RRD-adapted profitable ubiquitous green 4G/5G wireless multifunctional technologies.Comment: 6 pages, 8 figures, 2017 IEEE International Multi-Conference on Engineering, Computer and Information Sciences (SIBIRCON

Millimeter Wave Cellular Networks: A MAC Layer Perspective

The millimeter wave (mmWave) frequency band is seen as a key enabler of multi-gigabit wireless access in future cellular networks. In order to overcome the propagation challenges, mmWave systems use a large number of antenna elements both at the base station and at the user equipment, which lead to high directivity gains, fully-directional communications, and possible noise-limited operations. The fundamental differences between mmWave networks and traditional ones challenge the classical design constraints, objectives, and available degrees of freedom. This paper addresses the implications that highly directional communication has on the design of an efficient medium access control (MAC) layer. The paper discusses key MAC layer issues, such as synchronization, random access, handover, channelization, interference management, scheduling, and association. The paper provides an integrated view on MAC layer issues for cellular networks, identifies new challenges and tradeoffs, and provides novel insights and solution approaches.Comment: 21 pages, 9 figures, 2 tables, to appear in IEEE Transactions on Communication

Towards 6G Networks: Use Cases and Technologies

Reliable data connectivity is vital for the ever increasingly intelligent, automated and ubiquitous digital world. Mobile networks are the data highways and, in a fully connected, intelligent digital world, will need to connect everything, from people to vehicles, sensors, data, cloud resources and even robotic agents. Fifth generation (5G) wireless networks (that are being currently deployed) offer significant advances beyond LTE, but may be unable to meet the full connectivity demands of the future digital society. Therefore, this article discusses technologies that will evolve wireless networks towards a sixth generation (6G), and that we consider as enablers for several potential 6G use cases. We provide a full-stack, system-level perspective on 6G scenarios and requirements, and select 6G technologies that can satisfy them either by improving the 5G design, or by introducing completely new communication paradigms.Comment: The paper has been accepted for publication at the IEEE Communications Magazine, 202

Application of Machine Learning in Wireless Networks: Key Techniques and Open Issues

As a key technique for enabling artificial intelligence, machine learning (ML) is capable of solving complex problems without explicit programming. Motivated by its successful applications to many practical tasks like image recognition, both industry and the research community have advocated the applications of ML in wireless communication. This paper comprehensively surveys the recent advances of the applications of ML in wireless communication, which are classified as: resource management in the MAC layer, networking and mobility management in the network layer, and localization in the application layer. The applications in resource management further include power control, spectrum management, backhaul management, cache management, beamformer design and computation resource management, while ML based networking focuses on the applications in clustering, base station switching control, user association and routing. Moreover, literatures in each aspect is organized according to the adopted ML techniques. In addition, several conditions for applying ML to wireless communication are identified to help readers decide whether to use ML and which kind of ML techniques to use, and traditional approaches are also summarized together with their performance comparison with ML based approaches, based on which the motivations of surveyed literatures to adopt ML are clarified. Given the extensiveness of the research area, challenges and unresolved issues are presented to facilitate future studies, where ML based network slicing, infrastructure update to support ML based paradigms, open data sets and platforms for researchers, theoretical guidance for ML implementation and so on are discussed.Comment: 34 pages,8 figure

Towards Massive Machine Type Cellular Communications

Cellular networks have been engineered and optimized to carrying ever-increasing amounts of mobile data, but over the last few years, a new class of applications based on machine-centric communications has begun to emerge. Automated devices such as sensors, tracking devices, and meters - often referred to as machine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communications (MTC) - introduce an attractive revenue stream for mobile network operators, if a massive number of them can be efficiently supported. The novel technical challenges posed by MTC applications include increased overhead and control signaling as well as diverse application-specific constraints such as ultra-low complexity, extreme energy efficiency, critical timing, and continuous data intensive uploading. This paper explains the new requirements and challenges that large-scale MTC applications introduce, and provides a survey on key techniques for overcoming them. We focus on the potential of 4.5G and 5G networks to serve both the high data rate needs of conventional human-type communications (HTC) subscribers and the forecasted billions of new MTC devices. We also opine on attractive economic models that will enable this new class of cellular subscribers to grow to its full potential.Comment: accepted and to appear in the IEEE Wireless Communications Magazin

A Compact, Wide Field-of-View Gradient-index Lens Antenna for Millimeter-wave MIMO on Mobile Devices

Lens-based beam-forming antennas offer a low-power, low-cost alternative to hybrid beamforming antenna arrays. They are ideally suited to millimeter-wave massive MIMO systems due to their native beam-space operation and angular selectivity and minimal dependence of high-speed data converters. We discuss the design of a compact and low-cost lens-based beam-forming antenna for small form-factor platforms such as small-cells and mobile devices in 5G wireless networks. We discuss a gradient-index design method and low-cost fabrication method based on perforated dielectrics. We discuss the need for high-contrast permittivity ranges to achieve wide scan angles which are essential for leveraging the full capability of massive MIMO systems (e.g., full stream capacity). Finally, we show that by using an appropriately designed perforated medium, gradient-index lenses with low minimum permittivity of 1.25 can achieve a maximum beam-steering angle of 44 degrees. We suggest that such an approach can enable practical low-loss, low-cost, and compact beam-steering lens antennas for millimeter-wave MIMO with wide beam-steering angles.Comment: To be presented September 24-27 at the Fall 2017 Vehicular Technologies Conference (http://ieeevtc.org/vtc2017fall/) in the "5G Millimeter-Wave Channel Measurement, Models, and Systems" trac

A Survey on Legacy and Emerging Technologies for Public Safety Communications

Effective emergency and natural disaster management depend on the efficient mission-critical voice and data communication between first responders and victims. Land Mobile Radio System (LMRS) is a legacy narrowband technology used for critical voice communications with limited use for data applications. Recently Long Term Evolution (LTE) emerged as a broadband communication technology that has a potential to transform the capabilities of public safety technologies by providing broadband, ubiquitous, and mission-critical voice and data support. For example, in the United States, FirstNet is building a nationwide coast-to-coast public safety network based of LTE broadband technology. This paper presents a comparative survey of legacy and the LTE-based public safety networks, and discusses the LMRS-LTE convergence as well as mission-critical push-to-talk over LTE. A simulation study of LMRS and LTE band class 14 technologies is provided using the NS-3 open source tool. An experimental study of APCO-25 and LTE band class 14 is also conducted using software-defined radio, to enhance the understanding of the public safety systems. Finally, emerging technologies that may have strong potential for use in public safety networks are reviewed.Comment: Accepted at IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorial