Interference-aware resource scheduling in LTE HetNets with carrier aggregation support

Optimal resource allocation in LTE networks is known to be a hard problem, and is further exacerbated when support for advanced features such as heterogeneity and carrier aggregation are also considered. In particular, in LTE heterogeneous networks (HetNets) where radio resources are shared between different layers of base stations, interference management can be a daunting task. Carrier aggregation (CA), which allows the simultaneous use of several LTE component carriers to achieve high user data rates, also adds to the complexity. In this paper, we propose an interference-aware heuristic algorithm that jointly performs carrier selection and resource allocation to serve a mix of users with CA-enabled and legacy terminals. We evaluate the performance of our approach in a large-scale scenario and compare it with other widely used heuristic algorithms such as Proportional-Fair scheduling and Enhanced Inter Cell Interference Coordination (eICIC) techniques. Simulation results show that the solution we propose increases system throughput, minimises energy consumption and improves spectrum utilisation, while also ensuring better fairness between CA-enabled and legacy user terminals.