An energy-efficient user-centric approach for High-Capacity 5G heterogeneous cellular networks

Abstract

Today's cellular networks (3G/4G) do not scale well in heterogeneous networks (HetNets) of multiple technologies that employ network-centric (NC) model. This destabilization is due to the need for coordination and management of multiple layers of the HetNets that the NC models cannot provide. User-centric (UC) approach is one of the key enablers of 5G wireless cellular networks for rapid recovering from network failures and ensuring certain communication capability for the users. In this paper, we present resource-aware energy-saving technique based on the UC model for LTE-A HetNets. We formulate an optimization problem for UC as a mixed linear integer programming (MILP) that minimizes the total power consumption (Energy Efficiency) while respecting the data rate per user and propose a low complexity iterative algorithm to user terminal (UE)-eNodeB association. In UC model, UE possessing terminal intelligence can establish the transmission and reception with different cells within the LTEA HetNet assuming the existence of coordination between the different cells in the network. The performance is evaluated in terms of energy saving in the uplink and downlink and the added capacity to the network (data rate). The evaluation is carried out by comparing a UC model against a NC model with the same simulation setup. The results show significant percentage of energy saving at eNodeBs and UEs in a UC model. Also, system capacity is enhanced in the UC model in both the uplink and downlink due to utilizing best channel gain for transmission and reception.