Heterogeneous millimeter-wave/micro-wave architecture for 5G wireless access and backhauling

Abstract

5G is expected to provide a unified platform where a number of different frequency bands and technologies are strategically integrated and combined. In this paper we investigate the potential of combining micro-wave (microWave) and millimeter-wave (mmWave) technologies in outdoor scenarios. We first envision the design and architecture of a novel 5G microWave/mmWave Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) where the mmWave backhaul is integrated. Next, we discuss a Service-Driven Dynamic Resource Radio Management system for the proposed architecture and propose a Multi-Layer Dynamic Transmission Scheme, which enables cooperation between different network slices, increasing the degrees of freedom of the overall system. Finally, we present a preliminary analytical and experimental study of the performance of the proposed 5G microWave/mmWave HetNet, highlighting the significant benefits that a mmWave network achieves with flexible, dynamic support from microWave technologies.