Network Dimensioning, QoE Maximization, and Power Control for Multi-Tier Machine-Type Communications

For a radio resource-limited multi-tier machine-type communication (MTC) network, controlling random access congestion while satisfying the unique requirements of each tier (type) and guaranteeing fairness among nodes is always a challenge. In this paper, we study the network dimensioning and radio resource partitioning for the uplink of an MTC network with the signal-to-interference ratio-based clustering and relaying, where the MTC gateways (MTCGs) capture and forward the packets sent from MTC devices (MTCDs) to the base station (BS). Specifically, under transmission outage probability constraints, we investigate the trade-off between network utility (in terms of transmission capacity and revenue) and resource allocation fairness. With both outage probability constraints and minimum MTCD density constraints, we propose approaches to maximize the weighted sum of quality of experience of different tiers of MTCDs. Furthermore, a transmit power control strategy for MTCG-to-BS link is proposed to achieve a constant data rate.