Self-Organizing Networking in NOMA-Enabled Heterogeneous Networks

In this paper, we consider the two prominent SON functionalities, namely load balancing (LB) and resource allocation (RA), in NOMA-enabled multi-cellular heterogeneous networks. Specifically, we propose distributed algorithms where the users are handed-over from the congested tiers to provide LB and RA is done in a way that co-channel interference is minimized. In order to reduce the effects of increased cochannel and the inter-user interference, a hybrid NOMA method is also adopted. Numerical results demonstrate that the joint consideration SON functions provides significant improvements in the data rate and fairness among users and as the number of users and base stations increases, application of hybrid NOMA is more beneficial in interference coordination. In addition, it is shown that NOMA can provide higher data rates compared to the existing orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) schemes with proper user grouping methods.