Performance of LTE-Advanced macro-pico heterogeneous networks

Heterogenous network is currently under intensive discussion within 3GPP as an effective solution to improve network coverage and capacity for long term evolution (LTE)Advanced system, which consists of a mix of high-power macro base stations and a diverse set of low-power nodes, i.e., pico, femto and relay nodes. In this paper, we will particularly focus on the mixed deployment of macro and pico cells. Co-channel deployment is typically assumed for heterogenous network to make the best use of spectrum resource; therefore, a critical issue for heterogenous network is co-channel interference between macro and pico cells, which, if not properly addressed, may significantly degrade the performance of heterogenous network. Furthermore, other deployment options, e.g., the number and the positions of pi co nodes will also affect system performance greatly. In this paper, we will carry out extensive simulation campaigns to evaluate the downlink and uplink performance of co-channel macro-pico heterogeneous network. Results show that huge performance benefit can be obtained if heterogenous network is well designed and parameterized.