Fast-RAT Scheduling in a 5G Multi-RAT Scenario

The next generation of wireless telecommunications, 5G, is expected to have tight interworking between its novel air interface and legacy standards, such as the LTE. The major difference from interworking between previous RAT generations is that there will be common CN functionalities, enabling faster RAT scheduling due to reduced time spent with signaling. In this context, this article aims at exploiting an FS solution to improve QoS metrics of the system by means of efficient RAT scheduling. Analyses presented here show a better understanding concerning which system measurements are most efficient in a mutliple-RAT scenario. More specifically, we present an analysis concerning the metrics that should be used as RAT scheduling criteria and how frequent these switching evaluations should be done. Finally, we also compare the performance of DC and FS solutions, highlighting the scenarios in which each of them performs better than the other.