Load-aware Optimal Association for 5G Mobile Users in HetNets with S-BVT Backhaul

New paradigms are being proposed to cope with the increasing traffic demand in the access networks. One alternative is to leverage cost-efficient VCSEL-based Sliceable Bandwidth Variable Transceivers (S-BVTs) near the edge. In this work, we investigate the adoption of optical S-BVTs for the transport of cellular traffic. A dynamic and decentralized orchestration algorithm is proposed to achieve an optimal user association and resource allocation of the access network's resources while considering the load-balancing and availability of the underlying optical infrastructure. Two association and resource allocation techniques are explored in a two-tier heterogeneous network featuring different radio access technologies. The results show that the decentralized solution outperforms the coverage maps-based association and exhibits load balancing capabilities without the need of a centralized coordination, which can be leveraged by the S-BVT's adaptive capabilities.