Cellular network assistance over unlicensed spectrum technologies is a promising approach to improve the average system throughput and achieve better trade-off between latency and energy-efficiency in Wireless Local Area Networks (WLANs). However, the extent of ultimate user gains under network-assisted WLAN operation has not been explored sufficiently. In this paper, an analytical model for user-centric performance evaluation in such a system is presented. The model captures the throughput, energy efficiency, and access delay assuming aggressive WLAN channel utilization. In the second part of the paper, our formulations are validated with system-level simulations. Finally, the cases of possible unfair spectrum use are also discussed.
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