On the Regimes in Millimeter Wave Networks: Noise-Limited or Interference-Limited?

Given the overcrowding in the 300 MHz-3 GHz spectrum, millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum is a promising candidate for the future generations of wireless networks. With the unique propagation characteristics at mmWave frequencies, one of the fundamental questions to address is whether mmWave networks are noise or interference-limited. The regime in which the network operates significantly impacts the MAC layer design, resource allocation procedure and also interference management techniques. In this paper, we first derive the statistical characteristic of the cumulative interference in finite-sized mmWave networks considering configuration randomness across spatial and spectral domains while including the effect of blockages. Subsequently, using the derived interference model we set up a likelihood ratio test (LRT) (that is dependent on various network parameters) in order to detect the regime of the network from an arbitrarily located user standpoint. Unlike traditional networks, in mmWave networks, different likelihood of experiencing an interference-limited regime can be observed at different locations.