OVERLAY WIFI AND LTE: PLANNING AND PROFIT ALLOCATION IN 5G NETWORK EVOLUTION

Abstract

As the demand for wireless communication technologies and data traffic escalates, a critical bottleneck in mobile networks emerges from the scarcity of available licensed spectrum. To address this challenge, operators, who contend with limited and costly spectrum resources, must strategically manage their radio assets. An effective approach involves offloading mobile data traffic between licensed and unlicensed spectrum bands. This task is accomplished through technologies like LTE Unlicensed (LTE-U) employing LTE duty cycling, and License-Assisted Access (LAA) employing Listen-Before-Talk (LBT) mechanisms [1].

Moreover, a substantial portion of contemporary macro-cellular traffic emanates from indoor settings or mobile users with static positions [2]. In light of this, the integration of multiple Radio Access Technologies (RATs), such as the convergence of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), emerges as a promising solution. This integration endeavors to optimally distribute connected users across Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets), ensuring stable throughput for superior Quality of Service (QoS) and effective management of capacity constraints.