Analysis of interference on mirror-aided non-LOS backhaul data transmission in VLC attocell networks

Abstract

Visible light communication (VLC) is a promising technology that addresses the bandwidth bottleneck of radio-frequency based indoor wireless networks. Optical attocell networks using VLC backhaul links have been proposed. Line-of-sight (LOS) and mirror-aided non-LOS links can be used for backhaul transmission. As the visible light spectrum is used for both access downlink and bidirectional backhaul transmission, co-channel interference is a major issue. In this paper, we analyze the performance of optical attocell networks using VLC backhaul links taking into account illumination and eye safety requirements. Based on the signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio of different backhaul links, the bandwidth allocation ratio when using an in-band frequency reused scheme is discussed. Finally, aggregate data rates of networks using different VLC backhaul configurations are compared. Results show that LOS backhaul configuration can achieve nearly optimal network performance while mirror-aided non-LOS backhaul configuration is more robust against misalignment.