Inter-Operator Resource Management for Millimeter Wave, Multi-Hop Backhaul Networks

摘要

In this paper, a novel framework is proposed for optimizing the operation andperformance of a large-scale, multi-hop millimeter wave (mmW) backhaul within awireless small cell network (SCN) that encompasses multiple mobile networkoperators (MNOs). The proposed framework enables the small base stations (SBSs)to jointly decide on forming the multi-hop, mmW links over backhaulinfrastructure that belongs to multiple, independent MNOs, while properlyallocating resources across those links. In this regard, the problem isaddressed using a novel framework based on matching theory that is composed totwo, highly inter-related stages: a multi-hop network formation stage and aresource management stage. One unique feature of this framework is that itjointly accounts for both wireless channel characteristics and economic factorsduring both network formation and resource management. The multi-hop networkformation stage is formulated as a one-to-many matching game which is solvedusing a novel algorithm, that builds on the so-called deferred acceptancealgorithm and is shown to yield a stable and Pareto optimal multi-hop mmWbackhaul network. Then, a one-to-many matching game is formulated to enableproper resource allocation across the formed multi-hop network. This game isthen shown to exhibit peer effects and, as such, a novel algorithm is developedto find a stable and optimal resource management solution that can properlycope with these peer effects. Simulation results show that the proposedframework yields substantial gains, in terms of the average sum rate, reachingup to 27% and 54%, respectively, compared to a non-cooperative scheme in whichinter-operator sharing is not allowed and a random allocation approach. Theresults also show that our framework provides insights on how to manage pricingand the cost of the cooperative mmW backhaul network for the MNOs.