Cell selection and resource allocation in networks with wireless backhaul

To cope with the ever-increasing traffic demand of mobile users and to improve coverage, base-station densification is required. The Integrated Access and Backhaul (IAB) technology has been proposed to facilitate this densification by defining IAB nodes that act as base stations but are wirelessly connected to the fixed network. However, IAB introduces complex technical challenges, such as i) the sharing of bandwidth between access and backhaul and ii) scheduling that should be compliant with the half-duplex constraint. In this thesis, we focus on cell selection and resource allocation policies for IAB networks.

For cell selection, we propose a policy that allows each user to associate with an IAB node that optimizes resource consumption while respecting the capacity of each cell to maximize network capacity and ensure good load balancing.

For resource allocation, two policies are proposed. The first, managed by the main base station, ensures dynamic resource distribution across the shared bandwidth between the different IAB nodes, with optimized interference management. Once resources are allocated to each cell, a second policy comes into play to allow each IAB node to distribute its resources among its users according to their Quality of Service (QoS) needs, primarily in terms of latency. These policies aim to improve network capacity and provide a high level of user satisfaction, taking into account network conditions and user demands.