On the impact of Network density on correlation between Network load and Link adaptation in MIMO-OFDM based Mobile Broadband Networks

Abstract

Amount of data transferred through mobile networks is exponentially growing year over year. At the same time, user applications are more and more demanding in terms of network performance, defined by throughput and latency. On the other hand, business environment for mobile operators remains challenging, hence it is of great importance to plan, design, deploy and optimize network capacity in a way that will maximize RoI (Return on Investments). One of the most important tools to support this journey is estimation of user experience evolution in growing network load conditions. The main prerequisite for successful network performance prediction is accurate correlation between network load and network spectral efficiency. In MIMO-OFDM (Multiple Input Multiple Output – Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) systems, such as LTE and 5G-NR, the main radio indicators driving spectral efficiency are CQI (Channel Quality Indicator) and usage of MIMO technique. This paper aims to analyze impact of deployed network density on correlation between network load and link adaptation performance. Outcome of the study is relevant for future network performance modelling work based on machine learning.