Energy efficiency metrics for heterogenous wireless cellular networks

Abstract

In this paper heterogeneous wireless cellular networks based on two-tier architecture consisting of macrocells and femtocells are considered. Methods of femtocells deployment and management are explored in order to determine their effects on performance of wireless cellular networks. Thus, network performance parameters are described and analytically calculated for different two-tier network architectures. A specific approach is presented in the paper, where calculations of the network performance parameters are supported with some of the results obtained using an appropriate simulation tool. In such a manner, energy efficiency of the considered two-tier network architectures is studied by introducing a number of so called green metrics. It is clearly shown that significant energy efficiency, as well as throughput, improvements can be achieved by adopting heterogeneous architecture for wireless cellular networks.