Integrated Access Backhaul in Millimeter Wave Networks

High spatial reuse through densification of wireless networks and higher amount of bandwidth are necessary to meet the increase of wireless demand in the next decade. Small cells that operate at millimeter wave (MMW) band can fulfill these two criteria. Deploying fiber to many small cell MMW base stations can be expensive and wireless backhaul can reduce this cost. A fixed access backhaul network - where the available resource is fixed separately for access and backhaul links - cannot meet the dynamic traffic demand of the network. An integrated access backaul (IAB) network - where the summation of available resource is fixed for access and backhaul links - can dynamically change the partition between access and backhaul links and meet instantaneous demand of UEs acrosss the network. This work focuses on joint cost optimal fiber drop deployment, resource allocation and routing in an IAB network. Simulation results show that IAB can significantly reduce the fiber drop deployment cost of the network compared to fixed access backhaul network.