Network Architectures for 4G: Cost Considerations [Wireless Broadband Access]

As 3G wireless networks evolve toward 4G, various wireless network technology organizations are considering a major redesign of the network architecture. We present a perspective on such a redesign motivated primarily by cost considerations. We examine some tenets for the design of 4G wireless network architectures that are aimed at improving costs in various aspects of the network. One tenet is the maximization of economies of scale by partitioning the functionality among network elements in a way that maximizes the potential domain of applicability of the network elements. Another is reduction of the number of distinct types of network elements needed by flattening the levels of hierarchy in the execution of various functions. We explain our reasoning by illustrating a way of redesigning the current 3GPP network architecture based on these tenets.