A Planning and Optimization Framework for Ultra Dense Cellular Deployments

Abstract

To accommodate the ever-expanding wireless data traffic volumes, mobile network operators are complementing their macrocellular networks by deploying low-power base stations (or small cells) to offload traffic from congested macrocells and to reuse spectrum. To that end, Ultra Dense Network (UDN) deployments provide means to aggressively reuse spectrum, thus providing significant enhancements in terms of system capacity. However, these deployments entail several challenges, including the increased complexity in network planning and optimization. In this paper, we propose a versatile optimization framework for planning UDN deployments. The planning and optimization framework is underpinned by metrics that consider scalability in terms of number of users, cost of densification, and fairness. The proposed methodology is evaluated using a real-world UDN planning case. The numerical results expose a number of interesting insights, including the impact of different bandwidth allocation strategies and spatial service demand distribution on the performance of various network topologies. Specifically, we provide a performance comparison of the optimized UDN topologies versus random (unplanned), regular grid, and heuristically derived UDN topologies. This comparison further underlines the need for flexible network planning and optimization frameworks as different operator performance metrics of interest may require different radio access networks configurations.

A Use Case of Shared 5G Backhaul Segment Planning in an Urban Area

“…The capacity of microcells to serve users is set to 1 Gbps. These values are in line with other deployment studies [4] [5]. Finally, since the 5G network infrastructure required is expected to be cost full, one way to overcome this is to have 'open' deployments of neutral networks serving users of any service provider.…”

“…Since 5G is not yet commercialized, there are some uncertainties around technical and economic aspects, and the rollout strategies that MNOs will carry out. Some contributions have addressed this aspect, providing quantitative deployment evaluations of the 5G architecture [2]- [5]. Furthermore, the 5G deployment in the access is significantly affected by the radio propagation limitations.…”

Radio Wave Propagation and WSN Deployment in Complex Utility Tunnel Environments

“…A radio-planning analysis was studied for different types of wireless networks (e.g., broadcasting systems, trunk radios, public land mobile systems, microwave transport links, etc. ), considering aspects such as multi-variable optimization (energy consumption, node density and transmission rate as a function of the coverage area under analysis) and the impact of elements such as user density variation, estimation of cell edge conditions or interference background levels [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ].…”

Characterisation of Propagation Loss for a 3G Cellular Network in a Crowded Market Area Using CCIR Model

“…Propagation loss is one of the key elements that is usually required in the planning and design of cellular networks [1][2][3][4][5][6][7]. Generally, propagation loss models are developed and used to estimate the expected propagation loss a given wireless signal at a particular frequency will experience while propagating in a given area [8][9][10][11][12][13][14].…”