On Power-Line-Based Front-Hauling for IoT Cellular Indoor Communications

This paper explores the usage of low-voltage Power-Line Communication (PLC) links for Enhanced Common Public Radio Interface (eCPRI)-based front-hauling in 5G Internet of Things (IoT) indoor mobile coverage environments, using a split Centralized Radio Access Network (C-RAN) architecture. This research aims to analyze how parameters such as wireless IoT device count, bandwidth, and transmission technology affect the delay performance of the proposed system. To achieve this goal, we develop detailed mathematical models that draw insights from queuing theory, stochastic geometry, and Markov models. Extensive system-level simulations verify these models’ accuracy, and the analytical results cover radio and access delay performance. We validate the system’s efficiency in supporting IoT indoor cellular applications and assess the feasibility of the proposed PLC-based front-hauling system, considering the strict delay requirements of the eCPRI standard.