Statistical Intercell Interference Modeling for Capacity-Coverage Tradeoff Analysis in Downlink Cellular Networks

Abstract: Interference shapes the interplay between capacity and coverage in cellular networks. However, interference is non-deterministic and depends on various system and channel parameters including user scheduling, frequency reuse, and fading variations. We present an analytical approach for modeling the distribution of intercell interference in the downlink of cellular networks as a function of generic fading channel models and various scheduling schemes. We demonstrate the usefulness of the derived expressions in calculating location-based and average-based data rates in addition to capturing practical tradeoffs between cell capacity and coverage in downlink cellular networks.