A Heuristic Search Algorithm for the Cellular Telecommunication Network Expansion Problem

Abstract

This article proposes a very effective heuristic algorithm to address the network expansion problem, and it discusses step-by-step procedures of the proposed algorithm in detail. The input to the algorithm is based on a binary integer programming formulation of the network problem. The solution specifies the connections of each component, cell sites, hubs, and mobile telephone switching office and satisfies the redundancy requirements for each cell site to ensure the traffic flow and to backup any disconnection. The algorithm generates lower and upper bounds on cost of the exact solution, and preliminary testing indicates that it generates very effective results efficiently. The authors hope that in presenting such an algorithm, designers of very large cellular network expansions will have a tool to obtain significantly good solutions in a reasonable time.