Joint network density and spectrum sharing in multi-operator collocated ultra-dense networks

Abstract

The deployment of ultra-dense networks (UDNs) has been suggested as a means to effectively increase the capacity in 5G wireless networks. However, in multi-operator spectrum sharing scenarios, due to the increasing network density the coordination of network and spectrum management among the operators becomes a challenging task. To this end, we formulate a network optimization problem that minimizes a joint network density and spectrum sharing cost function. By exploiting Lagrange duality techniques, we develop a provably optimal algorithm that aims at adapting operators' spectrum allocation and network density to the temporal changes in traffic demands. The performance of the algorithm has been evaluated on a scenario addressing the resource management problem of multiple operators having collocated UDNs and sharing a common pool of frequency resources. Numerical results demonstrate how effectively the algorithm adapts operators' network and spectrum resources to changes in traffic load over time.