Centralized multi-cell resource and power allocation for multiuser OFDMA networks

Multiuser Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) networks, such as Long Term Evolution networks, use the frequency reuse-1 model to face the tremendous increase of mobile traffic demands, and to increase network capacity. However, inter-cell interference problems are generated, and they have a negative impact on cell-edge users performance. Resource and power allocation should be managed in a manner that alleviates the negative impact of inter-cell interference on system performance. In this paper, we formulate a novel centralized multi-cell resource and power allocation problem for multiuser OFDMA networks. The objective is to maximize system throughput while guaranteeing a proportional fair rate for all the users. We decompose the joint problem into two independent problems: a resource allocation problem and a power allocation problem. We prove that each of these problems is a convex optimization problem, and that their optimal solution is also an optimal solution to the original joint problem. Lagrange duality theory and subgradient projection method are used to solve the centralized power allocation problem. We study the convergence of our centralized approach, and we find out that it reduces inter-cell interference, and increases system throughput and spectral efficiency in comparison with the frequency reuse-1 model, reuse-3 model, fractional frequency reuse, and soft frequency reuse techniques.