An adaptive bias configuration strategy for Range Extension in LTE-Advanced Heterogeneous Networks

The coexistence of macro eNodeBs and the additional low power nodes (LPNs) may lead to much higher interference in LTE-Advanced Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets). In Macro Pico scenario, Range Extension (RE) is a promising scheme to utilize the LPN resources more effectively and improve the cell edge performance. However, it may introduce more interference if the bias value is not properly set. In this paper, an adaptive bias configuration strategy for RE is proposed. In this strategy, the bias value is set adaptively according to the environment variability, which contains three stages including bias initialization, system performance feedback and dynamic bias value setting. The proposed scheme aims to make the RE scheme adaptive and improve the cell edge users' performance through cell load balance. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme can improve the cell edge performance compared with the static bias setting strategies, while maintaining the overall cell performance.