Probabilistic power control for heterogeneous cellular networks with closed-access femtocells

Heterogeneous cellular networks where conventional macro cells are overlaid with low power consumer deployed femtocell base stations are in the process of being deployed for their benefits in terms of scale, economy, and spectral efficiency. However, when femtocells operate in closed access, the problem of coverage holes for macro users needs to be solved. This paper proposes a probabilistic power control scheme based on results from stochastic geometry. The femto-layer transmit power for a given cell is computed at its macro base station and broadcasted to the femto base stations. Simulation results unveil that considerable performance gains can be achieved without additional information exchange among base stations or measurements at the handsets.