Opportunistic Device-to-Device Communication in Cellular networks: From Theory to Practice

TL;DR

This paper explores the design, analysis, and real-world validation of opportunistic outband device-to-device (D2D) communication in cellular networks, demonstrating its potential to improve energy efficiency, fairness, and capacity.

Contribution

It introduces a compatible protocol for outband D2D, provides an analytical study of its benefits, and validates findings through SDR-based experiments in real scenarios.

Findings

Opportunistic outband D2D enhances network energy efficiency and capacity.

All D2D modes are scenario-dependent and can be complementary.

Experimental results confirm the potential of outband D2D in real networks.

Abstract

This dissertation studies different aspects of D2D communications and its impact on the key performance indicators of the network. We design an architecture for the collaboration of cellular users by means of timely exploited D2D opportunities. We begin by presenting the analytical study on opportunistic outband D2D communications. The study reveals the great potential of opportunistic outband D2D communications for enhancing energy efficiency, fairness, and capacity of cellular networks when groups of D2D users can be form and managed in the cellular network. Then we introduce a protocol that is compatible with the latest release of IEEE and 3GPP standards and allows for implementation of our proposal in a today's cellular network. To validate our analytical findings, we use our experimental Software Defined Radio (SDR)-based testbed to further study our proposal in a real world scenario. The experimental results confirm the outstanding potential of opportunistic outband D2D communications. Finally, we investigate the performance merits and disadvantages of different D2D modes. Our investigation reveals, despite the common belief, that all D2D modes are complementary and their merits are scenario based.