Evolution toward 5G multi-tier cellular wireless networks: An interference management perspective

TLDR

5G cellular networks aim to deliver higher data rates, lower latency, and broader coverage while reducing energy use and cost, yet current interference‑management schemes cannot meet the priority‑based demands of multi‑tier deployments. The article seeks to identify and address the interference‑management challenges of 5G multi‑tier networks, proposing guidelines to adapt existing schemes for priority‑aware operation. It reviews multi‑tier architectures—macrocells, small cells, relays, and D2D—and examines power‑control and cell‑association strategies for shared‑spectrum, priority‑based resource allocation. A survey and qualitative comparison reveal that current cell‑association and power‑control methods are inadequate for interference management in 5G multi‑tier networks.

Abstract

The evolving fifth generation (5G) cellular wireless networks are envisioned to overcome the fundamental challenges of existing cellular networks, for example, higher data rates, excellent end-to-end performance, and user-coverage in hot-spots and crowded areas with lower latency, energy consumption, and cost per information transfer. To address these challenges, 5G systems will adopt a multi-tier architecture consisting of macrocells, different types of licensed small cells, relays, and device-to-device (D2D) networks to serve users with different quality-of-service (QoS) requirements in a spectrum and energy-efficient manner. Starting with the visions and requirements of 5G multi-tier networks, this article outlines the challenges of interference management (e.g. power control, cell association) in these networks with shared spectrum access (i.e. when the different network tiers share the same licensed spectrum). It is argued that the existing interference management schemes will not be able to address the interference management problem in prioritized 5G multi-tier networks where users in different tiers have different priorities for channel access. In this context a survey and qualitative comparison of the existing cell association and power control schemes is provided to demonstrate their limitations for interference management in 5G networks. Open challenges are highlighted and guidelines are provided to modify the existing schemes in order to overcome these limitations and make them suitable for the emerging 5G systems.