An Optimized Approach to Load Balancing and Resource Usage in 5G Multi-tiered Cellular Networks

To cope with the data requirements associated with networks of the future, heterogeneous network architectures comprising of a coalition of low powered access nodes with macro cells have been proffered as a solution. Most Mobile Network Operators (MNO) are starting to upgrade their infrastructure to include cloud-Radio Access (C-RAN) services to support higher processing capacities, ease in network scalability and efficient resource management. These upgrades to the network architecture come with their unique challenges in the form of user associations to cells, efficient load balancing among multi-tiered cells, as well as Remote Radio Head (RRH) to Base Band Unit (BBU) association and re-association. In this paper we attempt to address and proffer a solution by proposing a joint optimisation algorithm consisting of two stages: the first being an upgrade to user association by way of our novel load balancing/user association scheme, and the second being in the form of an exact potential game among RRHs to associate to available BBU pool resources optimally, with the help of a centralized controller.