Fundamentals of 5G Mobile Networks

3Small Cells for 5G Mobile Networks

Seiamak Vahid, Rahim Tafazolli and Marcin Filo

5G Innovation Centre, Institute for Communication Systems (ICS), University of Surrey, UK

3.1 Introduction

Every year, the demand in mobile broadband communications increases dramatically as more and more users subscribe to mobile broadband services. In addition, smartphones and tablets with powerful multimedia capabilities and applications are becoming increasingly popular and are creating new demands on mobile broadband. All these factors are adding up to create an exponential increase in traffic volumes and transactions. Meeting the demand calls for an approach that can adapt easily to fluctuations in user demands over time and location.

Faced with global exponential mobile data traffic, the deployment of 5G systems will encounter new challenges in terms of data rate, mobility support and QoE (quality of experience); the often stated ‘1000-fold capacity increase’ [1] broadly sums up these technical challenges. Driven by consumer demand, an astounding 1000-fold increase in data traffic is expected in this decade [2, 3]. This sets the stage for enabling 5G technology that can deliver fast and cost-effective data connectivity whilst minimising the deployment cost. To meet the projected traffic demand and as stated by today’s technology roadmaps, it is generally agreed that more spectrum, higher spectral efficiency (bits per Hertz per cell) and greater cell densification (more small cells per km ...