Energy-Efficient Data Offloading for Multi-Cell Satellite-Terrestrial Networks

Abstract

To improve the energy efficiency for satellite downlink, a data offloading mechanism is studied for multi-cell satellite-terrestrial networks. Different services are first offloaded to the satellite-terrestrial terminal (STT) in each small cell and then forwarded to grounded users. By integrating the power allocation for satellite backhauling and the resource allocation for STT downlink, we aim to maximize the energy efficiency of data offloading in the multi-cell satellite-terrestrial networks. The problem is decomposed into two types of subproblems, where the downlink capacity in each cell, as well as the energy efficiency of satellite backhauling, are maximized. The optimal solution is approached by invoking a binary search aided algorithm, and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm effectively achieves the preferred energy-efficient allocation.