A Resource Allocation Game for Femtocell Networks and Constrained Equilibria

In this paper, we study a downlink band allocation game and algorithms in heterogeneous networks consisting of eNodeB (eNB) and femtocells (FC). If eNB and FC act as selfish players which compete to maximize their own utility, the resulting Nash equilibria (NE) may show poor performance due to interference. We propose an algorithm to avoid such equilibria. Specifically, we impose high prices on certain bands, which discourages FC from allocating such bands to its users. The case of 2-player 2-band is analyzed, under which our proposed scheme excels the case of full competition. Simulation results show that our algorithm prevents the players from ending up in inefficient equilibrium points, and also improves performance and fairness.