Abstract
5G and beyond 5G (B5G) wireless systems promise to support services with different requirements in the same network, as enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC), and massive machine type communication (mMTC). One alternative is to consider the network slicing paradigm, where the wireless network resources are shared (or sliced) among active services with different requirements. In addition, another emerging technology, that is considered as a key enabler for B5G wireless systems, is the intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS). From the deployment of an IRS, it is possible to improve the received signal quality and consequently increase the overall network capacity. Therefore, in this paper, we investigate the use of IRS to support simultaneous eMBB and URLLC services. We evaluate the achievable rate of an IRS-aided radio access network, where the uplink resources are shared between eMBB and URLLC users either under heterogeneous orthogonal multiple access (H-OMA) or heterogeneous non-orthogonal multiple access (H-NOMA) techniques. Results show that exploiting an IRS can considerably increase the eMBB rate and the URLLC reliability simultaneously, regardless of whether operating under H-OMA or H-NOMA. Moreover, we also provide some insights on the best user pairing strategy, showing that higher rates are achieved by matching many eMBB users near to the IRS with a URLLC user close to the base station.
Highlights
F IFTH-Generation (5G) and Beyond 5G (B5G) wireless communications systems will concurrently support many services based on three different types of use cases with heterogeneous requirements in the same operator network infrastructure, demanding a high degree of flexibility and scalability
We demonstrate that using an intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS) improves the performance of both enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) services, regardless the multiple access strategy (H-NOMA or heterogeneous orthogonal multiple access (H-OMA))
We show that heterogeneous non-orthogonal multiple access (H-NOMA) is the best strategy when the eMBB user is close to the base station (BS) and the IRS assists the URLLC user only
Summary
F IFTH-Generation (5G) and Beyond 5G (B5G) wireless communications systems will concurrently support many services based on three different types of use cases (as eMBB, URLLC, and mMTC) with heterogeneous requirements in the same operator network infrastructure, demanding a high degree of flexibility and scalability. Manufacturing is diverse and heterogeneous and it is characterized by a large number of use cases, such as (i) Factory automation, which includes motion control, control-to-control, mobile robots, and massive wireless sensor networks To support this use case, the B5G networks need to fulfill stringent requirements in terms of reliability, latency, communication service availability, and determinism [1], [2]; and (ii) Human-machine interfaces (HMIs), which include many diverse devices for interaction between people and production systems [1], [2]. We foresee the potential of an IRS to control the wireless channel in a given setup as to favour the slicing of physical layer resources, and improving the performance of heterogeneous services as eMBB and URLLC, both in orthogonal and non-orthogonal multiple access. The IRS capability of controlling the wireless channel and the spectral efficiency of the physical layer network slicing paradigm seem a good fit for pushing even further the performance of 5G and B5G system in demanding scenarios as industrial automation
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
