Location-based spectrum allocation and partitioning scheme for cross-tier interference mitigation in macro-femtocell networks

Abstract

In this paper, we address the cross-tier interference problem in a two-tier network which consists of overlaid femtocells within a macrocell range. In the considered network, macro and femto base stations are assumed with the capabilities of power control and beamforming, differently from user terminals. Under such environments, we devise a decentralized solution where each femtocell determines whether to use shared spectrum or partitioned spectrum, considering users' location information. Introducing two simple distance thresholds, we can optimally partition the spectrum and allocate them without detailed channel information. Simulation results demonstrate that our decentralized scheme achieves comparable performance to the centralized one with low overhead and feedback delay.