Profit Maximization in DRX Power Saving Configuration as a Service

The Discontinuous Reception (DRX) plays a vital role in user equipment (UE) power saving with a tradeoff of additional latency. Heterogeneous UEs may have specific DRX parameters that best suit their communication and hardware requirements. As 3GPP improved the signaling process of UE assistance information, UE can now send requests for their preferred DRX configuration to the base station (BS), while the BS still holds the right of actual configuration. In light of this opportunity, we propose Configuration as a Service (ConfigaaS), where Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) commit to configuring UEs according to their preferred DRX parameters indicated in the UE assistance information under a pricing framework. To gauge the profit potential for MNOs, we explore the value function of UEs in relation to different DRX configurations. From the perspective of an MNO, we develope a framework for maximizing profits through rate-setting, under different degrees of prior knowledge about UEs and two pricing strategies. Our simulations demonstrate the achievable profits with uniform and differentiated pricing compared to the full-information benchmark. Moreover, the analysis delves into the conditions and the extent that the profit differs between these two pricing schemes.