Chapter 31
Additional Features of LTE Release 10
31.1 Introduction
In addition to the features described in Chapters 28 to 30, a number of additional enhancement features are included in Release 10 of the LTE specifications. These are explained in the following sections.
31.2 Enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination
An important feature of LTE-Advanced is the support of heterogeneous network deployments consisting of small cells overlaid within the coverage area of a macrocellular network. The small cells may comprise picocells or femtocells (see Chapter 24) or Relay Nodes (RNs) (see Chapter 30). Overlaying small cells in this way enables higher spectral reuse due to cell-splitting, which delivers an increase in capacity and can support localized high traffic-densities (’hot-spots’). Overlaying small cells is particularly attractive when the availability of suitable sites for macrocells is limited. An alternative would be to use separate spectrum (see Section 28.3.1.1), but this depends on the availability of such additional spectrum.
However, the improved system capacity from heterogeneous deployments sharing the same spectrum present interference scenarios that are different from a homogeneous macro-cellular networks. Sections 31.2.1 to 31.2.6 explore these scenarios in more detail and explain the enhanced Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (eICIC) techniques introduced in Release 10 to address them.
The enhanced ICIC techniques ...
