Implementation of three scheduling algorithms in the smart grid communications over 4G networks

The latest 4G wireless technology, Long Term Evolution (LTE), is expected to be a promising wireless network for smart grid communications due to its high data rate and low delay. The needs of real time communications in the smart grid require reliable, confident and well tested wireless networks. Scheduling is one of the mechanisms which has a crucial role on the smart grid performance since it is in charge of the bandwidth resource allocation process. However, due to the fact that LTE has not been intended for smart grid communications, the performance of the scheduling algorithms must be optimized and properly tested. This paper aims at evaluating the performance of three scheduling algorithms, namely Frame Level Scheduler, Exponential Rule and Logarithmic Rule algorithms, in the smart grid communications. The evaluation process is based on their performance in the smart grid for three applications (VoIP, video surveillance and metering data) with specific data rate and delay requirements for each application. The results are evaluated in terms of throughput, delay and packet loss ratio.