Centralized Scheduling for Joint Decoding Cooperative Networks Subject to Signalling Delays

Joint detection in the uplink of a cellular network involving several non-colocated base stations is a promising means to turn inter-cell interference into useful signal energy and hence dramatically increase spectral efficiency of reuse one networks. To maximize the benefits of the new degrees of freedom that come with base station cooperation, cluster centric schedulers need to be aware of the interference situation in all participating cells. Since the required exchange of information on the backhaul infrastructure can be subject to significant delays, scheduling decisions are potentially based on outdated channel state information and will thus lead to suboptimal system performance. In this contribution we extend our framework for studying the impact of these signaling delays on the system performance by allowing bigger cooperation clusters. By comparing new algorithms and introducing the possibility of channel prediction, we provide further insight into the system behavior.