Strategic Analysis of User Association Based on Power-Domain Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access in Visible Light Communication Multi-cell Networks

Abstract

Multi-cell visible light communication (VLC) network with non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) has its own challenges, such as inter-cell interference (ICI) and poor edge-user experience. As user association is an important base for network management, this paper focuses on the strategic analysis of user association and reveals the characteristics of user association principles in multi-cell NOMA-VLC networks. First, we establish a system model including interference of NOMA in multiple cells. Second, we present the violation of the principle of proximity access and derive a closed-form sufficient condition for edge users based on visible light channels. Third, we evaluate the cell deployment of NOMA-VLC involved with the strategic analysis of user association. Finally, simulation results indicate that the violation of the principle of proximity access achieves better data rate performance than the traditional one based on the sufficient condition. Furthermore, Monte Carlo simulations show that the numerical results are supported by the analytic derivation.