Modeling backhaul deployment costs in heterogeneous radio access networks using spatial point processes

Future mobile networks are forecast as being increasingly heterogeneous and dense. An aspect crucial to managing such networks is the existence of a flexible and effective backhaul infrastructure. Since backhaul infrastructure is essential, it becomes important to analyze the cost of its implementation. This paper aims to realize a framework to estimate deployment costs in a network which consists of users, two types of base stations, and backhaul nodes that could either be microwave or fiber optic backhaul nodes. The main contribution of this work is the derivation of a framework using spatial point processes that helps estimate the cost of deploying a backhaul node based on the number of users and base stations connected to it. The framework, along with assumptions of typical costs of various network components, is utilized to examine whether there exist an optimal number of backhaul nodes that can minimize the overall deployment cost of a network while catering to a given number of users in the area.