A study on cell association in heterogeneous networks with joint load balancing and interference management

Exponential growth in the demand for network capacity has led to extensive research on advanced cellular network technology. A heterogeneous network in which traditional well-planned macro cell deployment is overlaid by small-scale unplanned base stations is one effective solution for next-generation networks. However, the cell association techniques currently used in macro-only cellular networks are not suitable for next-generation heterogeneous networks. Finding effective methods to handle the cell association problem in this new type of network is a hot topic of research in this field. This paper provides an overview of the cell association problem in heterogeneous networks and discusses the main issues that need to be addressed by an efficient cell association technique in order to maximize the network throughput. It has been shown that an efficient cell association scheme in heterogeneous networks must balance the load among different cells while minimizing the inter-cell interference at the same time. Jointly considering these two objectives is a challenge currently being investigated by researchers. An overview on load balancing and interference management in heterogeneous networks is provided in this paper. A review of the existing literature shows that there is a need for an efficient distributed solution in which load balancing approaches are observed and at the same time users prone to harmful interference are protected. A framework for modeling the heterogeneity of this type of network is presented, a simulation is performed in order to verify the effects of different parameters, and, finally, the problem is formulated. Future research directions are also provided in the paper.