Self-Organization and Optimization in Heterogenous Networks

Abstract

Driven by the continuous growth of wireless and mobile communication users, Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Long Term evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) have taken up densification of network as a new paradigm to meet the growing capacity demands. Small cells come with the advantage of enhanced coverage in indoor and hard reach areas and offer traffic offloading capacity in hotspots. However, there are challenges of interference management and self-adaptability with the overlaying macro cellular network since most small cell base stations are user deployed and do not have centralized control on their configuration and operation. The purpose of this chapter is to elaborate the concept of heterogeneous network and Self Organization Network (SON) in LTE-A. The various use cases of SON that can benefit the heterogeneous network have been discussed laying emphasis on interference management use case. Further the current trend of research in this field has been highlighted. It provides a holistic picture of the heterogeneous network and SON in LTE-A and upcoming mobile communication generations.