An overview of downlink radio resource management for UTRAN long-term evolution

Radio resource management algorithms ranging from bearer admission control to semi-persistent and dynamic packet scheduling, fast link adaptation, and transmission control of multi-antenna transmission modes are addressed in this article for UTRAN long-term evolution. First, a high-level system overview of LTE is given, with special emphasis on the important components related to RRM. The quality of service parameter framework is outlined, as one of the main objectives for the families of RRM algorithms is to maximize system capacity while serving all users according to their minimum QoS constraints. It is demonstrated how the collocation of the RRM algorithms at the base station with easy access to air interface measurements offers opportunities for efficient cross-functional optimization between layers 1, 2, and 3. Examples of performance results for different traffic mixes and antenna transmission schemes are also presented, and the article is concluded with recommendations on how to operate the various RRM options under different load and traffic conditions.