A self-organized Tracking Area List mechanism for large-scale networks of femtocells

In this paper we explore the concept of self-organized location management in large-scale networks of femtocells (NoFs). A NoF is a mesh network that provides multi-hop connectivity amongst femtocells and, in turn, to the Evolved Packet Core. One of the most challenging issues in NoFs is location management, i.e., the process of determining the location of a User Equipment (UE) in the network. Standard 3GPP location management mechanisms are not well suited for large-scale NoFs due to the overhead generated by frequent handovers and cell reselections. In this paper we propose a self-organized Tracking Area List (TAL) mechanism that seamlessly monitors the mobility state of each UE in order to adjust the size of its individual TAL dynamically. Analytical results show that our mechanism reduces location signalling traffic in the cellular network compared to standard 3GPP schemes. In addition, the self-organized TAL mechanism is fully compliant with 3GPP LTE Technical Specifications, which facilitates its implementation in a commercial scenario.