Automated Small-Cell Deployment for Heterogeneous Cellular Networks

TL;DR

This paper presents automated deployment methods for small cells in heterogeneous cellular networks, aiming to optimize coverage and performance while reducing costs and interference through advanced modeling and algorithms.

Contribution

It introduces novel algorithms and modeling techniques for automatic small-cell deployment, improving network performance and reducing planning complexity and costs.

Findings

Algorithms improve network performance and reduce interference.

Deployment prediction techniques guide optimal small-cell placement.

Numerical results validate the effectiveness of proposed methods.

Abstract

Optimizing the cellular network's cell locations is one of the most fundamental problems of network design. The general objective is to provide the desired Quality-of-Service (QoS) with the minimum system cost. In order to meet a growing appetite for mobile data services, heterogeneous networks have been proposed as a cost- and energy-efficient method of improving local spectral efficiency. Whilst unarticulated cell deployments can lead to localized improvements, there is a significant risk posed to network-wide performance due to the additional interference. The first part of the paper focuses on state-of-the-art modelling and radio-planning methods based on stochastic geometry and Monte-Carlo simulations, and the emerging automatic deployment prediction technique for low-power nodes (LPNs) in heterogeneous networks. The technique advises a LPN where it should be deployed, given certain knowledge of the network. The second part of the paper focuses on algorithms that utilize interference and physical environment knowledge to assist LPN deployment. The proposed techniques can not only improve network performance, but also reduce radio-planning complexity, capital expenditure, and energy consumption of the cellular network. The theoretical work is supported by numerical results from system-level simulations that employ real cellular network data and physical environments.