Joint Routing and Resource Allocation for Millimeter Wave Picocellular Backhaul

TL;DR

This paper proposes a joint routing and resource allocation method for millimeter wave mesh backhaul networks in picocellular architectures, addressing interference and scalability issues to enhance data rates.

Contribution

It introduces a computationally efficient formulation for joint routing and resource allocation in mmWave backhaul, considering interference and leveraging sparse optimal solutions.

Findings

The proposed method effectively manages interference in mmWave backhaul networks.

Numerical results show improved data rates and scalability for the proposed approach.

The approach is suitable for dense picocellular deployments with directional beams.

Abstract

Picocellular architectures are essential for providing the spatial reuse required to satisfy the ever-increasing demand for mobile data. A key deployment challenge is to provide backhaul connections with sufficiently high data rate. Providing wired support (e.g., using optical fiber) to pico base stations deployed opportunistically on lampposts and rooftops is impractical, hence wireless backhaul becomes an attractive approach. A multihop mesh network comprised of directional millimeter wave links is considered here for this purpose. The backhaul design problem is formulated as one of joint routing and resource allocation, accounting for mutual interference across simultaneously active links. A computationally tractable formulation is developed by leveraging the localized nature of interference and the provable existence of a sparse optimal allocation. Numerical results are provided for millimeter (mm) wave mesh networks, which are well suited for scaling backhaul data rates due to abundance of spectrum, and the ability to form highly directional, electronically steerable beams.