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A Simulation Framework for Evaluating Interference Mitigation Techniques in Heterogeneous Cellular Environments

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Abstract

Femtocells present an attractive solution for the improvement of a mobile network’s services providing better data rates and coverage. Since their deployment results to a heterogeneous network where two layers must utilize the available spectrum, issues of interference arise. A method to address this challenge, is investigating the locations of the newly installed FBS, and enforcing a power controlled transmission of all FBSs that achieves optimal and fair overall performance. Another option that becomes available in inter-cell interference cancellation (ICIC) macrocell environments, is utilizing the available spectrum to complete or partly avoid co-channel operation. In this work, we provide a simulation framework that allows the creation of custom, high configurable, user defined topologies of femtocells with power control and frequency allocation capabilities. It allows the investigation of the margin of improvement in interference when these methods are applied and may work as a decision tool for planning and evaluating heterogeneous networks. To showcase the framework’s capabilities, we evaluate and study the behaviour of custom deployed femtocells/macrocells networks and examine the cross-tier interference issues. Facilitated by the framework, we enforce and evaluate each interference mitigation technique for different femtocells’ deployment densities. Finally, we compare the results of each method in terms of total throughput, spectral efficiency and cell-edge users’ performance.

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Abbreviations

ABS:

Almost blank subframes

BS:

Base station

CSG:

Closed subscriber group

FBSs:

Femto base stations

4G:

Fourth generation

FFR:

Fractional frequency reuse

HNBs:

Home node-B

IFR3:

IFR of factor 3

IFR:

Integer frequency reuse

ICIC:

Inter-cell interference cancellation ICIC

LTE-A:

Long term evolution-advanced

MBS:

Macro base station

OFDMA:

Orthogonal frequency-division multiple access

SINR:

Signal to interference plus noise ratio

SFR:

Soft frequency reuse

PL:

Path loss

RSRP:

Reference signal received power

UE:

User equipment

UBPC:

Utility-based power control

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computer Technology Institute and Press “Diophantus”, N. Kazantzaki, 26504 , Patras, Greece

    Christos Bouras, Vasileios Kokkinos & Andreas Papazois

  2. Computer Engineering and Informatics Department, University of Patras, 26504 , Patras, Greece

    Christos Bouras, Georgios Diles, Vasileios Kokkinos, Konstantinos Kontodimas & Andreas Papazois

Authors
  1. Christos Bouras
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  2. Georgios Diles
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  3. Vasileios Kokkinos
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  4. Konstantinos Kontodimas
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  5. Andreas Papazois
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Correspondence to Christos Bouras.

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Bouras, C., Diles, G., Kokkinos, V. et al. A Simulation Framework for Evaluating Interference Mitigation Techniques in Heterogeneous Cellular Environments. Wireless Pers Commun 77, 1213–1237 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11277-013-1562-5

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