On the scalability of relay based wireless networks

In this paper, we argue that while relays will surely be an essential component of future infrastructure-based wireless networks, their indiscriminate use is an inefficient way to allocate the limited radio resources available. The most efficient method to allocate the radio license is when the number of relays is minimized, while still achieving the desired coverage objectives. Under very general assumptions, we show that there exists an optimal number of relays which maximizes the aggregate spectral efficiency for wireless connections within a base station coverage area