text: The aggressive spatial spectrum reuse (SSR) by network densification using smaller cells has successfully driven the wireless communication industry onward in the past decades. In our future journey toward ultra-dense networks (UDNs), a fundamental question needs to be answered. Is there a limit to SSR? In other words, when we deploy thousands or millions of small cell base stations (BSs) per square kilometer, is activating all BSs on the same time frequency resource the best strategy? In this paper, we present theoretical analyses to answer such question. In particular, we find that both the signal and interference powers become bounded in practical UDNs with a non-zero BS-to-UE antenna height difference and a finite UE density, which leads to a constant capacity scaling law. As a result, there exists an optimal SSR density that can maximize the network capacity. Hence, the limit to SSR should be considered in the operation of future UDNs.
  @cite_18: Millimeter wave (mmWave) holds promise as a carrier frequency for fifth generation cellular networks. Because mmWave signals are sensitive to blockage, prior models for cellular networks operated in the ultra high frequency (UHF) band do not apply to analyze mmWave cellular networks directly. Leveraging concepts from stochastic geometry, this paper proposes a general framework to evaluate the coverage and rate performance in mmWave cellular networks. Using a distance-dependent line-of-site (LOS) probability function, the locations of the LOS and non-LOS base stations are modeled as two independent non-homogeneous Poisson point processes, to which different path loss laws are applied. Based on the proposed framework, expressions for the signal-to-noise-and-interference ratio (SINR) and rate coverage probability are derived. The mmWave coverage and rate performance are examined as a function of the antenna geometry and base station density. The case of dense networks is further analyzed by applying a simplified system model, in which the LOS region of a user is approximated as a fixed LOS ball. The results show that dense mmWave networks can achieve comparable coverage and much higher data rates than conventional UHF cellular systems, despite the presence of blockages. The results suggest that the cell size to achieve the optimal SINR scales with the average size of the area that is LOS to a user.
  @cite_8: Existing cellular network analyses, and even simulations, typically use the standard path loss model where received power decays like @math over a distance @math . This standard path loss model is quite idealized, and in most scenarios the path loss exponent @math is itself a function of @math , typically an increasing one. Enforcing a single path loss exponent can lead to orders of magnitude differences in average received and interference powers versus the true values. In this paper, we study multi-slope path loss models, where different distance ranges are subject to different path loss exponents. We focus on the dual-slope path loss function, which is a piece-wise power law and continuous and accurately approximates many practical scenarios. We derive the distributions of SIR, SNR, and finally SINR before finding the potential throughput scaling, which provides insight on the observed cell-splitting rate gain. The exact mathematical results show that the SIR monotonically decreases with network density, while the converse is true for SNR, and thus the network coverage probability in terms of SINR is maximized at some finite density. With ultra-densification (network density goes to infinity), there exists a phase transition in the near-field path loss exponent @math : if @math unbounded potential throughput can be achieved asymptotically; if $ 0 , ultra-densification leads in the extreme case to zero throughput.
  @cite_9: In this paper, we introduce a sophisticated path loss model incorporating both line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) transmissions to study their impact on the performance of dense small cell networks (SCNs). Analytical results are obtained for the coverage probability and the area spectral efficiency (ASE), assuming both a general path loss model and a special case with a linear LoS probability function. The performance impact of LoS and NLoS transmissions in dense SCNs in terms of the coverage probability and the ASE is significant, both quantitatively and qualitatively, compared with the previous work that does not differentiate LoS and NLoS transmissions. Our analysis demonstrates that the network coverage probability first increases with the increase of the base station (BS) density, and then decreases as the SCN becomes denser. This decrease further makes the ASE suffer from a slow growth or even a decrease with network densification. The ASE will grow almost linearly as the BS density goes ultra dense. For practical regime of the BS density, the performance results derived from our analysis are distinctively different from previous results, and thus shed new insights on the design and deployment of future dense SCNs.
  @cite_3: Very recent studies showed that in a fully loaded dense small cell network (SCN), the coverage probability performance will continuously decrease with the network densification. Such new results were captured in IEEE ComSoc Technology News with an alarming title of "Will Densification Be the Death of 5G?". In this paper, we revisit this issue from more practical views of realistic network deployment, such as a finite number of active base stations (BSs) and user equipments (UEs), a decreasing BS transmission power with the network densification, etc. Particularly, in dense SCNs, due to an oversupply of BSs with respect to UEs, a large number of BSs can be put into idle modes without signal transmission, if there is no active UE within their coverage areas. Setting those BSs into idle modes mitigates unnecessary inter-cell interference and reduces energy consumption. In this paper, we investigate the performance impact of such BS idle mode capability (IMC) on dense SCNs. Different from existing work, we consider a realistic path loss model incorporating both line-of-sight (LoS) and non-line-of-sight (NLoS) transmissions. Moreover, we obtain analytical results for the coverage probability, the area spectral efficiency (ASE) and the energy efficiency (EE) performance for SCNs with the BS IMC and show that the performance impact of the IMC on dense SCNs is significant. As the BS density surpasses the UE density in dense SCNs, the coverage probability will continuously increase toward one, addressing previous concerns on "the death of 5G". Finally, the performance improvement in terms of the EE performance is also investigated for dense SCNs using practical energy models developed in the Green-Touch project.
  @cite_10: The intensity matching approach for tractable performance evaluation and optimization of cellular networks is introduced. It assumes that the base stations are modeled as the points of a Poisson point process (PPP) and leverages stochastic geometry for system-level analysis. Its rationale relies on observing that system-level performance is determined by the intensity measure of transformations of the underlaying spatial PPP. By approximating the original system model with a simplified one, whose performance is determined by a mathematically convenient intensity measure, tractable yet accurate integral expressions for computing area spectral efficiency and potential throughput are provided. The considered system model accounts for many practical aspects that, for tractability, are typically neglected, e.g., line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS propagation, antenna radiation patterns, traffic load, practical cell associations, and general fading channels. The proposed approach, more importantly, is conveniently formulated for unveiling the impact of several system parameters, e.g., the density of base stations and blockages. The effectiveness of this novel and general methodology is validated with the aid of empirical data for the locations of base stations and for the footprints of buildings in dense urban environments.
  @cite_12: In this paper, we present a new and significant theoretical discovery. If the absolute height difference between base station (BS) antenna and user equipment (UE) antenna is larger than zero, then the network performance in terms of both the coverage probability and the area spectral efficiency will continuously decrease toward zero as the BS density increases in ultra-dense networks (UDNs). Such findings are completely different from the conclusions in the existing works, both quantitatively and qualitatively. In particular, this performance behavior has a tremendous impact on the deployment of the 5th-generation UDNs. Network operators may invest large amounts of money in deploying more network infrastructure only to obtain even less network capacity. This paper’s results reveal that one way to address this issue is to lower the BS antenna height to the UE antenna height. However, this requires a revolutionized approach of the BS architecture and deployment, which is also explored in this paper.
summary: Recently, a few noteworthy studies have followed and revisited the network performance analysis of UDNs using more practical assumptions @cite_8 @cite_18 @cite_9 @cite_10 @cite_12 @cite_3 , such as a general multi-piece path loss model with probabilistic line-of-sight (LoS) and non-LoS (NLoS) transmissions, a non-zero BS-to-UE antenna height difference @math , and a non-fully-loaded network with a finite UE density @math .