A High-Level Parameter Selection Framework for Irregular LTE-Based Mission Critical Networks

The next generation of Mission Critical Networks (MCNs) will likely be based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. This is due to the many features LTE can offer such as reliable broadband communications and Proximity Services (ProSe). However, the environments where MCNs mostly work require irregular deployment of LTE. Such requirements can impose constraints on the Frequency Reuse (FR) algorithms and Medium Access Control (MAC) schedulers to be used. In this paper, we develop a high-level parameter selection framework to enable the testing of irregular deployments of LTE-based MCNs. The developed tool provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) that can be easily used to change the system settings and the available resources in order to find the most suitable system parameters. The developed algorithm also considers minimizing the used spectrum and allows the end-user to select a Quality-of-Service (QoS) threshold to control the system performance. Results show that the proposed framework provides accurate recommendations on the needed resources, FR algorithms, and MAC schedulers to be used. Insights on the system performance and suggested deployment style are also provided.