PHY layer performance of heterogeneous LTE-Advanced network in 3D extended channel models

This paper evaluates the user performance analysis of pico-cells and macro-cells in heterogeneous LTE-Advanced networks. The analysis makes use of state-of-the-art 3D ray-tracing for a large number of macro and pico-cell Enhanced Node B and user equipment locations. A baseband LTE-A link level simulator for 2×2 MIMO was designed and implemented in MATLAB to determine the user performance in pico-cells and macro-cells for line-of-sight links and non-line-of-sight link. Based on analysis of all available modulation and coding schemes, the received bit mutual information rate abstraction method is used to determine the optimum physical layer throughput. Packet error rate and optimum throughput are evaluated for pico-cellular and macro-cellular users. A comparison of external wall and lamp-post mounted pico-cell BS deployments is analysed. The analysis show that the UE in the pico-cell cases generally resulted in higher SNR and optimum throughput compared to the macro-cell cases in NLoS environments.