A green perspective on Wi-Fi offloading

Due to increased energy consumption and carbon emissions of the ICT industry, operators worldwide are focusing on reducing energy consumption of their networks from the financial as well as corporate responsibility perspectives. The subject of green or energy-efficient operation of the cellular access network has attracted a lot of attention in the research community recently. In this regard, dynamically powering down radio network equipment has emerged as a promising solution. In the literature, research around such techniques has mainly focused on quantifying the energy saving potential. However, few efforts have been made toward practical realization of these energy saving concepts. On the other hand, Wi-Fi networks are undergoing a paradigm shift toward ubiquity. The main objective of this article is to provide novel mechanisms for practically realizing the concept of improving power efficiency in the cellular access network through opportunistically offloading users to Wi-Fi networks. These mechanisms are based on the principles of cognitive network management. Performance evaluation shows the potential of the proposed mechanisms as a viable solution for achieving energy efficiency in the cellular access network.