Throughput Maximization in Clustered Cellular Networks by Using Joint Resource Scheduling and Fractional Frequency Reuse-Aided Coordinated Multipoint

In this paper, a novel scheme for radio resource allocation is proposed for downlink transmission in a clustered cellular network that employs orthogonal frequency division multiple access. The proposed resource allocation scheme is based on maximizing the cluster throughput, with emphasis on improving individual performance, especially those at the cell edges. The users within the cell are segregated into edge users, having strong coupling with the neighboring cells, and the center users close to the cell sites. In order to improve the data rate for the edge users, cell clustering with the joint transmission, forming virtual MIMO systems is introduced. The throughput for the center users is improved through classical opportunistic channel scheduling with interference avoidance. The frequency resources are pre-assigned to edge and center users, and the optimization problem for throughput maximization is applied separately to each so as to improve the fairness between them without affecting the overall spectrum efficiency. The simulations have been performed under various frequency reuse patterns and resource distributions within the cell–sectors to assess the performance of the proposed solution. Results indicate that clustering ensures tremendous gains in throughput per resource and spectral efficiency of edge users, while it significantly reduces scheduling complexity of the system.