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Optimizing the cellular network?s cell locations is one of the most fundamental problems of network design. The general objective is to provide the desired QoS with the minimum system cost. In order to meet a growing appetite for mobile data services, heterogeneous networks have been proposed as a cost- and energyefficient method of improving local spectral efficiency. While unarticulated cell deployments can lead to localized improvements, there is a significant risk posed to network-wide performance due to the additional interference. The first part of the article focuses on state-of-the-art modelling and radio planning methods based on stochastic geometry and Monte Carlo simulations, and the emerging automatic deployment prediction technique for low-power nodes, or LPNs, in heterogeneous networks. The technique advises an LPN where it should be deployed, given certain knowledge of the network. The second part of the article focuses on algorithms that utilize interference and physical environment knowledge to assist LPN deployment. The proposed techniques can not only improve network performance, but also reduce radio planning complexity, capital expenditure, and energy consumption of the cellular network. The theoretical work is supported by numerical results from system-level simulations that employ real cellular network data and physical environments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article analyzes the wireless coverage problem of remote regions with low user density and propagation problems due to irregular terrain and high tree density. The use of a wireless mesh network is proposed as a solution where user data is transmitted directly to a base station when it is possible or relayed through other nodes in a multi-hop manner when there is not a direct link. The mesh topology uses short links with higher capacity instead of long links with low capacity. We analyze radio propagation and MAC protocols, including random sources, queues, and packet delays. The article is based on the coverage of a realistic rural region near Medellin, a mid size city in Colombia, and it shows that a wireless mesh network is an alternative to a typical cell based solution. It includes propagation analysis and MAC protocol behavior, so it is not limited to a radio coverage problem but also traffic, scheduling, and routing analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]