Interference Mitigation Strategies for WiMAX Networks

Abstract

WiMAX IEEE802.16e systems are intended to provide high spectral efficiency in order to support services with challenging QoS constraints in heterogeneous scenarios. However, when addressing such goal, it is important to consider in detail the impact of deployment related issues. Inter-cell interference is one of them and plays a relevant role in limiting system level performances. On the other side, WiMAX standard provides several useful features at both PHY and MAC layer for facing propagation channel impairments and that can be exploited in order to combat inter-cell interference. In this paper an analysis of the main features influencing the inter-cell interference scenario is provided and interference mitigation strategies are proposed and evaluated through system level simulations.