Energy Efficiency of Heterogeneous Network Using On/Off Small Cells in Real Large Scale Environment

This paper investigates the possible gain in heterogeneous network power consumption when dynamically switching on or off small-cells depending on user traffic. Using a ray-based propagation model complemented with a space- and time-variant traffic model, the quality of service and power consumption of a large-scale realistic LTE heterogeneous network is assessed. The power consumption of the small-cell layer can be drastically reduced outside busy hours without compromising users´ quality of service. A 29% gain in daily energy consumption is obtained in the studied scenario compared to the always-on scenario.