Multi-Channel Hybrid Access Femtocells: A Stochastic Geometric Analysis

• Published in: IEEE transactions on communications Vol. 61; no. 7; pp. 3016 - 3026
• Main Authors: Zhong, Yi, Zhang, Wenyi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01.07.2013; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Access methods and protocols, osi model; Applied sciences; Approximation methods; Cellular communication; Channel management; Channels; Clusters; Computer simulation; Exact sciences and technology; Fading; femtocell; Femtocells; hybrid access; Interference; Macrocell networks; Mathematical analysis; Mathematical models; Neyman-Scott cluster process; Signal to noise ratio; spatial Poisson process; Stochastic processes; Stochasticity; Strategy; Studies; Systems, networks and services of telecommunications; Telecommunications; Telecommunications and information theory; Teleprocessing networks. Isdn; Transmission and modulation (techniques and equipments); two-scale approximation; two-tier network; Wireless carriers; Access control; Performance evaluation; hybrid access; Multiple access; Closed loop; two-scale approximation; Neyman-Scott cluster process; Downlink; Numerical method; spatial Poisson process; Poisson process; Stochastic analysis; femtocell; Subscriber; Point process; Analytical method; Channel allocation; Numerical simulation; Channel management; Signal to interference plus noise ratio; Open access; two-tier network
• ISSN: 0090-6778; 1558-0857
• DOI: 10.1109/TCOMM.2013.050813.110508

For two-tier networks consisting of macrocells and femtocells, the channel access mechanism can be configured to be open access, closed access, or hybrid access. Hybrid access arises as a compromise between open and closed access mechanisms, in which a fraction of available spectrum resource is shared to nonsubscribers while the remaining reserved for subscribers. This paper focuses on a hybrid access mechanism for multi-channel femtocells which employ orthogonal spectrum access schemes. Considering a randomized channel assignment strategy, we analyze the performance in the downlink. Using stochastic geometry as technical tools, we model the distribution of femtocells as Poisson point process or Neyman-Scott cluster process and derive the distributions of signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratios, and mean achievable rates, of both nonsubscribers and subscribers. The established expressions are amenable to numerical evaluation, and shed key insights into the performance tradeoff between subscribers and nonsubscribers. The analytical results are corroborated by numerical simulations.