Interference coordination and cancellation for 4G networks

This article provides an overview of contemporary and forward looking inter-cell interference coordination techniques for 4G OFDM systems with a specific emphasis on implementations for LTE. Viable approaches include the use of power control, opportunistic spectrum access, intra and inter-base station interference cancellation, adaptive fractional frequency reuse, spatial antenna techniques such as MIMO and SDMA, and adaptive beamforming, as well as recent innovations in decoding algorithms. The applicability, complexity, and performance gains possible with each of these techniques based on simulations and empirical measurements will be highlighted for specific cellular topologies relevant to LTE macro, pico, and femto deployments for both standalone and overlay networks.