On the Regimes in Millimeter wave Networks: Noise-limited or Interference-limited?

TL;DR

This paper investigates whether millimeter wave networks are primarily noise-limited or interference-limited by deriving interference statistics and proposing a likelihood ratio test to detect the operating regime at various locations.

Contribution

It introduces a statistical interference model for finite mmWave networks considering blockages and randomness, and develops a method to identify network regimes from user locations.

Findings

Different network regimes can be observed at different locations.

The interference model accounts for spatial and spectral randomness.

The likelihood ratio test effectively detects the network regime.

Abstract

Given the overcrowding in the 300 MHz-3 GHz spectrum, millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum is a promising candidate for the future generations of wireless networks. With the unique propagation characteristics at mmWave frequencies, one of the fundamental questions to address is whether mmWave networks are noise or interference-limited. The regime in which the network operates significantly impacts the MAC layer design, resource allocation procedure and also interference management techniques. In this paper, we first derive the statistical characteristic of the cumulative interference in finite-sized mmWave networks considering configuration randomness across spatial and spectral domains while including the effect of blockages. Subsequently, using the derived interference model we set up a likelihood ratio test (LRT) (that is dependent on various network parameters) in order to detect the regime of the network from an arbitrarily located user standpoint. Unlike traditional networks, in mmWave networks, different likelihood of experiencing an interference-limited regime can be observed at different locations.