Multi-Layer Optimized Packet Scheduling for OFDMA-Based Cellular Systems

Orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems have recently drawn considerable attention as potential candidates for future generation cellular systems. To achieve proportional fairness among users while improving user´s satisfaction in the upper layer, e.g. application and transmission control protocol (TCP) layers, we propose a novel multi-layer optimization approach for packet scheduling in OFDMA-based cellular systems, whereby the scheduler is designed not only based on optimization of the quality-of-service (QoS) class in the application layer, and fairness over users, but also based on the optimization of the throughput performance in the TCP layer. Simulations are conducted using TCP applications with the ultra mobile broadband (UMB) air interface numerology. Simulation results show that the proposed packet scheduling achieves up to 27.3% improvement over the proportional fairness scheduler in terms of the average system TCP throughput in the TCP layer, when resource usable rate for TCP applications is lower. Meanwhile, the proposed packet scheduling also performs with comparable fairness in the physical layer relative to the proportional fairness scheduler.