Joint wireless-optical infrastructure deployment and layout planning for Cloud-Radio Access Networks

C-RAN, i.e., Cloud-Radio Access Network, is a new cellular network architecture for the future mobile network infrastructure. It is proposed to provide a possible solution for operators to construct mobile access networks in a cost-effective manner. Different from traditional cellular network architectures that are built with many stand-alone base stations (BSs), C-RAN is now viewed as an architecture evolution based on distributed BSs. C-RAN has drawn extensive attentions from the operators due to its “4C” characteristics, i.e., Clean, Centralized processing, Collaborative radio, and real-time Cloud radio access network. In this paper, we focus on the Infrastructure Deployment and Layout Planning (IDLP) problem under the C-RAN architecture. The IDLP problem is formulated as a generic integer linear programming (ILP) model which can optimally: (i) minimize the network deploying cost, (ii) identify the locations of Remote Radio Units (RRUs) and Wavelength Division Multiplexers (WDMs), (iii) identify the association relations between RRUs and WDMs, (iv) satisfy the mobile coverage requirements so as to allow the mobile user access through RRU. We solve the model using Gurobi, which is the newest ILP solver by now. A series of case studies are conducted to validate the optimization framework and demonstrate the solvability and scalability of the ILP model. Computational results show the significant performance benefits of CoMP in C-RAN in terms of lower cost, larger capacity and higher reliability.