Future Network & MobileSummit 2013 Conference Proceedings Paul Cunningham and Miriam Cunningham (Eds) IIMC International Information Management Corporation, 2013 ISBN: 978-1-905824-37-3 Copyright © 2013 The authors www.FutureNetworkSummit.eu/2013 Page 1 of 9 Energy Efficient Relay-aided Shared LTE Network Using CoMP and LB Valdemar MONTEIRO 1,3 , Shahid MUMTAZ 1 , Jonathan RODRIGUEZ 1 , Christos VERIKOUKIS 2 , Ayman RADWAN 1 and Christos POLITIS 3 1 Instituto de Telecomunicações, Campus Universitário de Santiago, Aveiro, 3810-193- Aveiro, Portugal Tel: + 351 234377900, Fax: + 351 234377900, Email: vmonteiro@av.it.pt 2 Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), 08860 Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain Tel: +34 93 645 29 11,Fax: +34 93 645 29 01, Email: cveri@cttc.es 3 WMN (Wireless Multimedia&Networking) Research Group, Faculty of Computing, Information Systems and Maths, Kingston University London, Penrhyn Road, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, KT1 2EE, United Kingdom Tel: +44 (0) 208 417 2653, Email: c.politis@kingston.ac.uk Abstract: In this paper, we propose an energy-efficient scheduling algorithm for a relay-aided shared LTE network using CoMP and LB. A new complex scenario has been considered using a combination of the aforementioned four techniques. More explicitly, relay and LTE technologies are employed. In order to provide high- throughput for users at anywhere and anytime, we combine the relaying, the cooperative multipoint and the load balancing techniques in this paper, so as to increase the cell-edge users’ throughput. Moreover, the interested area is jointly covered by two operators, who have an agreement in sharing their resources. For such a complicated relay-aided shared LTE network, we propose an energy efficient scheduling algorithm, whose objective is increase significantly the throughput and energy efficiency in the two operators’ network sharing environment. Results have show meaningful increase up on the cell edge throughput when compared to conventional single cell. More specifically, the combined cooperative techniques, including single cell, relaying and CoMP scenario show significant improvement in throughput and energy consumption in the transmission stage, and in general a meaningful throughput improvement in the two LTE operators network sharing environment were achieved. Keywords: Energy efficiency; load balancing; coordinated multipoint; network sharing; LTE 1. Introduction The demand of high data-rate applications such as, e.g., video streaming and mobile internet surfing, requires both actual and future cellular networks to support high throughput for every user anywhere and anytime. However, since the wireless signal strength decreases exponentially with the transmission distance, the achievable throughput diminishes when the Mobile User (MU) moves towards to the cell-edge. Moreover, the achievable throughput is further degraded at the cell boundary where the interference from other cells becomes comparable to the received signal strength. Furthermore, no service is available for a user located out of the footprint coverage area of its associated network provider, or at the busy hours when its associated Base Station (BS) is overloaded. In order to overcome the above-mentioned constraints, more BSs are built with consistently reducing cell-size so as to bring the MUs closer to the BS and to more intensively reuse the