CogCell: cognitive interplay between 60 GHz picocells and 2.4/5 GHz hotspots in the 5G era

Abstract

The rapid proliferation of wireless communication devices and the emergence of a variety of new applications have triggered investigations into next-generation mobile broadband systems, i.e. 5G. Legacy 2G-4G systems covering large areas were envisioned to serve both indoor and outdoor environments. However, in the 5G era, 80 percent of all traffic is expected to be generated indoors. Hence, the current approach of macrocell mobile networks, where there is no differentiation between indoors and outdoors, needs to be reconsidered. We envision 60 GHz mmWave picocell architecture to support highspeed indoor and hotspot communications. We envisage the 5G indoor network as a combination of, and interplay between, 2.4/5 GHz having robust coverage and 60 GHz links offering a high data rate. This requires intelligent coordination and cooperation. We propose a 60 GHz picocellular network architecture, called CogCell, leveraging ubiquitous WiFi. We propose to use 60 GHz for the data plane and 2.4/5GHz for the control plane. The hybrid network architecture considers an opportunistic fall-back to 2.4/5 GHz in case of poor connectivity in the 60 GHz domain. Further, to avoid the frequent re-beamforming in 60 GHz directional links due to mobility, we propose a cognitive module, a sensor- assisted intelligent beam switching procedure, that reduces communication overhead. We believe that the CogCell concept will help future indoor communications and possibly outdoor hotspots, where mobile stations and access points collaborate with each other to improve the user experience.