Micro base stations in load constrained cellular mobile radio networks

Future cellular mobile radio networks will exhibit a much more dense base station deployment than 2nd or 3rd generation communications systems, particularly with regard to traffic coverage. Hence, a significant increase in power consumption of cellular networks can be expected. In order to counter this trend, energy efficiency of such networks should be increased considerably. Concerning energy efficiency, utilizing micro base stations with their smaller power consumption capabilities appear promising. In this paper we study various homogeneous and heterogeneous deployment strategies incorporating micro base stations with focus on energy efficiency represented by power consumption and throughput. Further, we deal with the impact of different load scenarios on energy efficiency of the various network topologies in more detail.