Relaying Strategies for Uplink in Wireless Cellular Networks

TL;DR

This paper evaluates how relay strategies, especially Decode and Forward, improve uplink throughput and energy efficiency in FDMA cellular networks using stochastic geometry, considering various relay features and advanced decoding techniques.

Contribution

It introduces a stochastic geometry framework to analyze relay impact on uplink performance, highlighting benefits of advanced decoding for all users.

Findings

Relays can significantly enhance uplink throughput and energy savings.

Advanced decoding techniques like SIC and Superposition Coding improve gains.

Relay features such as power, location, and antenna pattern influence performance.

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze the impact of relays on the uplink performance of FDMA cellular networks. We focus our analysis on Decode and Forward techniques, with the aim of measuring the improvements which can be achieved in terms of throughput and energy saving. We apply a stochastic geometry based approach to a scenario with inter-cell interference and reuse factor equal to 1. The first goal of this work is to observe what is the impact of various relay features, such as transmission power, location and antenna pattern, when a half-duplex constraint is imposed. The second goal is to determine how much relaying can be beneficial also for users who are not at the cell edge, and who can therefore use a direct link towards the base station. We show that if more refined decoding techniques, such as Successive Interference Cancellation and Superposition Coding, are properly used, considerable gains can be obtained for these mobiles as well.