This paper presents a content-centric transmission design in a cloud radio access network by incorporating multicasting and caching. Users requesting the same content form a multicast group and are served by a same cluster of base stations (BSs) cooperatively. Each BS has a local cache, and it acquires the requested contents either from its local cache or from the central processor via backhaul links. We investigate the dynamic content-centric BS clustering and multicast beamforming with respect to both channel condition and caching status. We first formulate a mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem of minimizing the weighted sum of backhaul cost and transmit power under the quality-of-service constraint for each multicast group. Theoretical analysis reveals that all the BSs caching a requested content can be included in the BS cluster of this content, regardless of the channel conditions. Then, we reformulate an equivalent sparse multicast beamforming (SBF) problem. By adopting smoothed $\ell _{0}$ -norm approximation and other techniques, the SBF problem is transformed into the difference of convex programs and effectively solved using the convex-concave procedure algorithms. Simulation results demonstrate significant advantage of the proposed content-centric transmission. The effects of heuristic caching strategies are also evaluated.

Content-Centric Sparse Multicast Beamforming for Cache-Enabled Cloud RAN

One of the most engaging challenges for mobile operators today is how to manage the exponential data traffic increase. Mobile data offloading stands out as a promising and low-cost solution to reduce the burden on the cellular network. To make this possible, we need a new hybrid network paradigm that leverages the existence of multiple alternative communication channels. This entails significant modifications in the way data are handled, affecting also the behavior of network protocols. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of data offloading techniques in cellular networks and extract the main requirements needed to integrate data offloading capabilities into today's mobile networks. We classify existing strategies into two main categories, according to their requirements in terms of content delivery guarantees: delayed and nondelayed offloading. We overview the technical aspects and discuss the state of the art in each category. Finally, we describe in detail the novel functionalities needed to implement mobile data offloading in the access network, as well as current and future research challenges in the field, with an eye toward the design of hybrid architectures.

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Data Offloading Techniques in Cellular Networks: A Survey

This paper presents a content-centric transmission design in a cloud radio access network (cloud RAN) by incorporating multicasting and caching. Users requesting a same content form a multicast group and are served by a same cluster of base stations (BSs) cooperatively. Each BS has a local cache and it acquires the requested contents either from its local cache or from the central processor (CP) via backhaul links. We investigate the dynamic content-centric BS clustering and multicast beamforming with respect to both channel condition and caching status. We first formulate a mixed-integer nonlinear programming problem of minimizing the weighted sum of backhaul cost and transmit power under the quality-of-service constraint for each multicast group. Theoretical analysis reveals that all the BSs caching a requested content can be included in the BS cluster of this content, regardless of the channel conditions. Then we reformulate an equivalent sparse multicast beamforming (SBF) problem. By adopting smoothed $\ell_0$-norm approximation and other techniques, the SBF problem is transformed into the difference of convex (DC) programs and effectively solved using the convex-concave procedure algorithms. Simulation results demonstrate significant advantage of the proposed content-centric transmission. The effects of three heuristic caching strategies are also evaluated.

We study physical layer multicasting in cellular networks where each base station (BS) is equipped with a very large number of antennas and transmits a common message using a single beamformer to multiple mobile users. The messages sent by different BSs are independent, and the BSs do not cooperate. We first show that when each BS knows the perfect channel state information (CSI) of its own served users, the asymptotically optimal beamformer at each BS is a linear combination of the channel vectors of its multicast users. Moreover, the optimal and explicit combining coefficients are obtained. Then we consider the imperfect CSI scenario where the CSI is obtained through uplink channel estimation in time-division duplex systems. We propose a new pilot scheme that estimates the composite channel, which is a linear combination of the individual channels of multicast users in each cell. This scheme is able to completely eliminate pilot contamination. The pilot power control for optimizing the multicast beamformer at each BS is also derived. Numerical results show that the asymptotic performance of the proposed scheme is close to the ideal case with perfect CSI. Simulation also verifies the effectiveness of the proposed scheme with finite number of antennas at each BS.

/pdf/massive-mimo-multicasting-in-noncooperative-cellular-3ux2hru5qx.pdf

Massive MIMO Multicasting in Noncooperative Cellular Networks

Heterogeneous wireless networks (HetNets) provide a powerful approach to meeting the dramatic mobile traffic growth, but also impose a significant challenge on backhaul. Caching and multicasting at macro and pico base stations (BSs) are two promising methods to support massive content delivery and reduce backhaul load in HetNets. In this paper, we jointly consider caching and multicasting in a large-scale cache-enabled HetNet with backhaul constraints. We propose a hybrid caching design consisting of identical caching in the macro-tier and random caching in the pico-tier, and a corresponding multicasting design. By carefully handling different types of interferers and adopting appropriate approximations, we derive tractable expressions for the successful transmission probability in the general signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and user density region as well as the high SNR and user density region, utilizing tools from stochastic geometry. Then, we consider the successful transmission probability maximization by optimizing design parameters, which is a very challenging mixed discrete-continuous optimization problem. By exploring structural properties, we obtain a near optimal solution with superior performance and manageable complexity. This solution achieves better performance in the general region than any asymptotically optimal solution, under a mild condition. The analysis and optimization results provide valuable design insights for practical cache-enabled HetNets.

Analysis and Optimization of Caching and Multicasting in Large-Scale Cache-Enabled Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

The Third Generation Partnership Project defined multimedia broadcast/multicast service in 2005 to optimize the distribution of video traffic. This standard covers the terminal, radio, core network, and user service aspects. This MBMS standard has evolved into enhanced MBMS (eMBMS) that builds on top of the 3GPP Long Term Evolution standard. eMBMS evolution brings improved performance thanks to higher and more flexible LTE bit rates, single frequency network operations, and carrier configuration flexibility. 3GPP Rel-11 also brings improvements in the areas of service layer with, for example, video codec for higher resolutions and frame rate, and forward error correction. eMBMS allows offloading of the LTE network and backhaul. It enables the possibility to deliver premium content to many users with secured quality of service in defined areas. Other important use cases are pushed content via user equipment caching and machine-to-machine services. This article describes the relevant use cases for eMBMS in terms of service. It then gives a tutorial on eMBMS, in particular highlighting the evolution over MBMS. The scope comprises the radio access, core network, and service layer.

F. Gabin

Papers

Evolved multimedia broadcast/multicast service (eMBMS) in LTE-advanced: overview and Rel-11 enhancements