Cross-layer scheduling and resource allocation in OFDMA wireless networks

One of the fundamental requirements of state-of-the-art and next-generation OFDMA-based wireless communication systems is the provision of quality of service (QoS) guarantees. This paper addresses the design of cross-layer channel-and queue-aware scheduling and resource allocation algorithms jointly assigning transmission data rates, bandwidth and/or power to active users while providing support to a wide range of multimedia applications with heterogeneous QoS requirements. Using tools from information and queueing theories, convex optimization, and stochastic approximation, a utility-based unified analytical framework is proposed. The merits and performance behavior of the proposed cross-layer algorithms are confirmed by a comprehensive simulation study.