Capacity and Coverage Analysis for Multi-Hop Relay in LTE-A Cellular Network

Abstract

This chapter introduces three new methodologies to enhance the performance of LTE cellular networks (Yahya, Aldhaibani, & Ahmed, 2014). The first methodology focuses on RN deployment in the cell and called Optimum RN Deployment (ORND) to enhance the coverage area and capacity at cell-edge region. RN is considered as a solution to address low SINR at the cell edge, resolve coverage holes due to shadowing, and to meet the access requirement of nonuniform distributed traffic in densely populated areas to improve coverage and throughput. However, the interference between stations is an important problem that is associated with the RN deployment in the cell. This methodology considers the mitigation of the interferences between the stations and ensures the best capacity with the optimization of transmission power. ORND is based on mathematical analysis of determination of the optimum location for RN, optimal number of relays per cell, suitable power for each RN, and design a frequency reuse scheme, which exploits available radio spectrum. Second methodology, called Enhance Relay Link Capacity (ERLC), addresses the relay link problem, where this link carries information generated by the RN and users attached to it to BS. Although the long distance between the proposed relay location and BS improves the coverage at cell boundaries, this distance also degrades the relay link efficiency and increases the probability of outage. On the other hand, the approximation of the relay location does not achieve the desired goals to enhance coverage at the cell-edge region. ERLC introduces active solution and easy implementation to solve relay link problem. The values of parameters which are used in these models are based on the LTE system specifications and presented by (3GPP, TS. ETSI, 2007) and mentioned in Table 4.1. Third methodology focuses on enhancing the throughput and RSS for the users inside public transportation vehicles as well as proposes a new algorithm called Balance Power Algorithm (BPA) that aims to minimize the transmission power consumption for Moving Relay (MR). Summary of research on improving coverage and capacity is shown in Fig. 3.1.