Bit-map based resource partitioning in LTE-A femto deployment

Self organizing network techniques are needed to manage serious two-tier interference in an ad hoc operation of dense femtocell deployment. This paper considers downlink frequency domain inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) in femtocell deployment. The studied resource partitioning method works such that each active femtocell may adapt, determine, and advertise a so-called binary resource partition sequence indicating which physical resource blocks (PRBs) the femtocells may occupy for their current operation. The main idea is to avoid interference from neighbor femto access points (FAPs) and try to achieve guaranteed bit-rate to femto users. The considered coordination method requires only low rate, infrequent updates in stationary phase and enables ICIC in distributed self organizing manner. The resource partitioning strategies are simulated in an LTE compliant system level simulator. The system level results show that different resource partitioning methods provide substantial gain when MRC receiver is used. When LMMSE receiver is used gains are smaller but at least one of the resource partitioning methods provided a gain over the case without ICIC. Furthermore, it is shown that proposed method works in two different femto environments.