Full-Duplex and Dynamic-TDD: Pushing the Limits of Spectrum Reuse in Multi-Cell Communications

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that with low-complexity beamforming techniques, full-duplex and dynamic TDD can significantly enhance multi-cell network capacity by mitigating cross-link interference, especially from base stations.

Contribution

The study introduces effective beamforming methods to reduce cross-link interference, enabling near doubling of capacity and throughput in multi-cell networks with full-duplex and dynamic TDD.

Findings

Cross-link interference is the main challenge in multi-cell full-duplex and TDD.

Low-complexity beamforming can effectively mitigate this interference.

Potential to nearly double network capacity and user throughput.

Abstract

Although in cellular networks full-duplex and dynamic time-division duplexing promise increased spectrum efficiency, their potential is so far challenged by increased interference. While previous studies have shown that self-interference can be suppressed to a sufficient level, we show that the cross-link interference for both duplexing modes, especially from base station to base station, is the remaining challenge in multi-cell networks, restricting the uplink performance. Using beamforming techniques of low-complexity, we show that this interference can be mitigated, and that full-duplex and dynamic time-division duplexing can substantially increase the capacity of multi-cell networks. Our results suggest that if we can control the cross link interference in full-duplex, then we can almost double the multi cell network capacity as well as user throughput. Therefore, the techniques in this paper have the potentiality to enable a smooth introduction of full-duplex into cellular systems.