Performance of mobile relay assisted networks: Energy-efficiency and cell capacity of multihop cellular networks

Energy consumption is a key aspect of telecommunication networks. This paper describes a series of calculations which evaluate the performance and energy efficiency in mobile relay assisted cellular networks. These calculations are divided into four cases. In the first case the possible cell coverage extension is analyzed with the application of mobile relays in a single cell. In second case some base stations are switched off in a multi-cell network in order to save energy; the coverage is kept by mobile relaying and the performance of this solution is presented. In the third case the cell coverage of reduced-power transmission assisted by mobile relays is calculated. In the last case we analyse the effect of mobile relays on cellular capacity in the examined area. These calculations demonstrate that mobile relay assisted networks have good potential for reducing energy consumption in mobile systems.