PlaciFi: Orchestrating Optimal 3D Access Point Placement for LiFi-WiFi Heterogeneous Networks

This paper presents PlaciFi, a comprehensive framework for orchestrating optimal 3D Access Point (AP) placement in LiFi-WiFi heterogeneous networks. Integrating LiFi and WiFi technologies allows leveraging of their strengths in different use cases and environments. This has resulted in new challenges in the effective deployment of APs. To address these challenges, PlaciFi extends traditional network planning approaches by incorporating the three-dimensional positioning of APs. The framework formulates a multi-objective optimization problem to minimize the AP count and maximize the rate coverage while considering illumination uniformity constraints for consistent illumination throughout the coverage area. PlaciFi introduces the consideration of user technology occurrence probability to tailor AP placement based on user requirements, improving network performance and user satisfaction. Various solution methods, including heuristics, meta-heuristics, and off-the-shelf solvers, are explored to offer flexibility to network planners. Through extensive evaluations and simulations, PlaciFi demonstrates its effectiveness in achieving optimal AP placement, balancing infrastructure costs and network performance. The contributions of PlaciFi advance the field of network planning in LiFi-WiFi heterogeneous networks, enabling the deployment of efficient and reliable networks.