Impact of three-dimensionality of femtocell deployments on aggregate interference estimation

Accurate estimation of aggregate interference is crucial for understanding the potential capacity gains from densification of cells. In this paper we study the impact of three-dimensionality of femtocell deployments on both cross-tier and co-tier aggregate interference using realistic building data and accurate propagation models. Our results show that the three-dimensional character of urban femtocell deployments can result in significantly higher interference effects compared to typically used two-dimensional evaluation scenarios. Further, we also show that heterogeneity in building heights plays an important role in the amount of aggregate interference, and should be considered more carefully when specifying standard topologies for interference studies.