Distributed energy saving management in multi-layer 4G/5G ultra-dense networks

Energy consumption in mobile networks rises with increase in cell density. This trend will only continue in the future multi-layer 5G-related Ultra-Dense Networks (UDN) that are characterized by high number and density of cells in multiple radio technologies each in one or more layers. Several Energy Saving Management (ESM) solutions have been published, but none adequately address the UDN scenario. UDNs require a distributed solution that allows each cell to individually decide when to deactivate or reactivate itself while considering the amount of network-wide traffic and the need to minimize signaling between the cells. This paper describes such a solution and its implementation, as well as a case study in a typical 5G UDN scenario with multiple cell layers of different cell sizes.