Distributed Resource Allocation in SDCN-Based Heterogeneous Networks Utilizing Licensed and Unlicensed Bands

The explosive growth of mobile data traffic and the scarcity of available licensed spectrum make resource allocation in heterogeneous networks a critical issue. A distributed resource allocation algorithm for software defined cellular networks for future 5G networks is proposed. The adoption of integrated femto-WiFi small cells is used to alleviate spectrum shortage, by permitting simultaneous access to both the licensed bands (via cellular interface) and unlicensed bands (via WiFi interface). A weighted utility maximization problem is formulated to optimize resource allocation, utilizing the software defined network controller’s global view. A fully distributed solution based on the weighted utility maximization optimizes resource allocation, keeping the interference from small cells to macrocells below predefined thresholds. The proposed algorithm considers the sDevices, which have both cellular and WiFi interfaces, and the wDevices which have WiFi-only interfaces. Numerical simulations substantiate the superiority of the proposed resource allocation algorithm, which increases significantly the average throughput and average utility of all devices, compared with the traditional and current methods. Throughput gains as large as 41.6% in spectral efficiency for the average of all sDevices and wDevices are achieved by the new designs.