Energy-aware caching and collaboration for green communication systems

Abstract

Social networks and mobile applications tend to enhance the need for high-quality content access. To meet the growing demand for data services in 5G cellular networks, it is important to develop effective content caching and distribution techniques, to reduce redundant data transmission and thereby improve network efficiency significantly. It is anticipated that energy harvesting and self-powered Small Base Stations' (SBS) are the rudimentary constituents of next-generation cellular networks. However, uncertainties in harvested energy are the primary reasons to opt for energy-efficient (EE) power control schemes to reduce SBS energy consumption and ensure the quality of services for users. Using edge collaborative caching, such EE design can also be achievable via the use of the content cache, decreasing the usage of capacity limited SBSs backhaul and reducing energy utilisation. Renewable energy (RE) harvesting technologies can be leveraged to manage the huge power demands of cellular networks. To reduce carbon footprint and improve energy efficiency, we tailored a more practical approach and propose green caching mechanisms for content distribution that utilise the content caching and renewable energy concept. Simulation results and analysis provide key insights that the proposed caching scheme brings a substantial improvement regarding content availability, cache storage capacity at the edge of cellular networks, enhances energy efficiency, and increases cache collaboration time up to 24%. Furthermore, self-powered base stations and energy harvesting are an ultimate part of next-generation wireless networks, particularly in terms of optimum economic sustainability and green energy in developing countries for the evolution of mobile networks.