Interference alignment at intermediate SNR with perfect or noisy CSI

Interference alignment is a new technique combining transmitter precoding and receiver interference suppression to achieve the optimal multiplexing gain in interference networks by exploiting knowledge of channel state information of all transmission links. So far closed form solutions for the transmit filters have only been found in certain cases. Also the feasibility of interference alignment schemes based on symbol extensions, over a limited number of signalling dimensions, is still an open problem. In this work we investigate the performance in terms of bit error rates, of interference alignment schemes at intermediate signal-to-noise ratios, through Monte Carlo simulations. We focus our attention on the three and four users time-varying interference channel, using both the closed form solutions known at present as well as iterative algorithms. We then investigate the impact of noisy channel state information on the performances of some of the interference alignment systems considered. In the single input single output interference channel the closed form solutions of the interference alignment cause considerably different bit error rates for the different nodes in the network. In the multiple input multiple output interference channel we exhibit that bit error rate saturates at moderate signal-to-noise ratios when interference alignment schemes are infeasible and even when they are feasible, some of the analyzed algorithms show unpredictable behaviors by deteriorating the performance as the signal-to-noise ratio exceeds a threshold. Further renements are necessary in order to obtain better bit error rates in these cases. We evince that additional improvements are also needed to the original interference alignment schemes in order to mitigate their sensitivity to noisy channel state informatio

Blockchain at the edge: the nexus of capturing new value in 5G

5G propels mobile technology into the exclusive group of general purpose technologies that have marked the evolution of our history and triggered transformative changes in society. Edge computing is instrumental in helping 5G fulfil its promise and meet its expectations and requirements. This article discusses the value shifts occurred in the telecom value chain and shows how blockchain can aid value extraction in 5G, highlighting a number of services and applications of 5G networks that benefit from distributed ledger technology. Furthermore, the paper details a couple of applications enabled by the marriage of 5G with distributed ledger technology: autonomous unmanned (vehicular or aerial) systems and connected supply chains. The combination of 5G and edge computing permits to unlock new business value in telecom networks; in the same way that edge computing is the nexus of creating new value in 5G, blockchain is the fulcrum of capturing that new value.This work was supported by the European Research Council under the H2020 Framework Programme/ERC grant agreement 694974, and by MINECO’s Projects RTI2018-102112 and RTI2018-101040

Context-aware radio resource management below 6 GHz for enabling dynamic channel assignment in the 5G era

Abstract Heterogeneous networks constitute a promising solution to the emerging challenges of 5G networks. According to the specific network architecture, a macro-cell base station (MBS) shares the same spectral resources with a number of small cell base stations (SBSs), resulting in increased co-channel interference (CCI). The efficient management of CCI has been studied extensively in the literature and various dynamic channel assignment (DCA) schemes have been proposed. However, the majority of these schemes consider a uniform approach for the users without taking into account the different quality requirements of each application. In this work, we propose an algorithm for enabling dynamic channel assignment in the 5G era that receives information about the interference and QoS levels and dynamically assigns the best channel. This algorithm is compared to state-of-the-art channel assignment algorithm. Results show an increase of performance, e.g., in terms of throughput and air interface latency. Finally, potential challenges and way forward are also discussed

5G-MiEdge: Design, standardization and deployment of 5G phase II technologies: MEC and mmWaves joint development for Tokyo 2020 olympic games

This paper presents the vision of 5G-MiEdge, a research project leveraging the benefits of merging MEC and mmWave technologies. Based on that vision, the most relevant use cases and services for the forthcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympics are proposed. The focus is on showing how integrating MEC and mmWave into the 5G network architecture can offer a much more effective system. That is achieved by means of an edge cloud and the introduction of an ultra-lean and inter-operable signaling, called `liquid control plane', capable of providing ubiquitous allocation of computation and communication resources, in an application-/user-centric framework. Finally standards-related aspects like the 5G-MiEdge impact on the ongoing 3GPP work and the services that compose the 5G phases are discussed