An Optimal Resource Allocation Scheme with Carrier Aggregation in 5G Network under Unlicensed Band

Abstract

Carrier aggregation (CA) technology in the Fifth-Generation (5G) network can be considered as a major feature for high-rate data services, which can be combined with the concept of 5G in unlicensed band (5G-U) for data offloading to further enhance the efficiency of the scarce licensed spectral resource. However, the introduction of cellular services in an unlicensed spectrum can force unlicensed band users to silent mode. Meanwhile, the coexistence among different radio access technologies operating on the same frequency band is a complex issue, especially considering the requirement diversity of quality of service (QoS) in networking. In this paper, we propose an optimal resource allocation mechanism to maximize system performance satisfaction for multiple types of services with different QoS requirements in the 5G-U network with a CA feature to address the challenge. Additionally, the performance of services in Wi-Fi system is protected by reserving the minimum spectrum resource when offloading for the 5G-U network. Analytical results on the mean ergodic achievable rate of Wi-Fi services and the mean packet delay of 5G services are provided to maximize the system performance satisfaction. Numerical results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, wherein optimal spectrum and power allocation can contribute to the maximum system satisfaction in a 5G-U network with a CA feature.