A Measurement–Based Approach for Cognitive Femtocell Networks

Abstract:
In the near future, a massive deployment of LTE femtocells in indoor environments is expected, leading to a harmful interference in the femtocell tier and to a substantial increase of energy consumption on entire cellular network. In this paper we address these issues proposing a fully distributed measurement– based pilot power control algorithm for LTE femtocells embedded in a macrocell area. In our approach each Femto Base Station (FBS) autonomously self–configures and self–optimizes its cell radius according to the detected on–site user activity under interference constraints. The algorithm does not require any signaling exchange between BSs, making it attractive for practical use in the expected large–scale femtocell deployment.