Effects of Interference Mitigation and Scheduling on Dense Small Cell Networks

This article compares the potential performance gains from downlink scheduling and interference mitigation in an LTE-Advanced dense small cell network. The study combines theoretical considerations and system-level simulations with a dynamic traffic model and different offered loads. It is shown that intra-cell scheduling can provide a 22% throughput gain in a narrow traffic load region, while the plausible gains from an ideal inter-cell resource management mechanism can be greater than 50% for a wider range of traffic loads, reaching 300% for some of the cases. The results from this research provide valuable insight for the design of resource management algorithms targeted to small cell scenarios on dedicated carriers.