An Evolution of Load Balancing Strategies in Co-Channel HetNets: Dynamic eICIC to Multi-Streaming

Range extension of pico cells facilitated by muting of macro cells has been the main load balancing strategy for LTE co-channel HetNets and standardized under the moniker of enhanced Inter-cell Interference Co-ordination (eICIC) in 3GPP. In order to adapt to varying load due to user mobility or traffic activity, both cell range and macro muting can be modified over time. Multi-streaming, a load balancing technique previously developed for EVDO and HSPA, is also now being considered for LTE HetNets. We explore the interaction between these two load balancing techniques and arrive at a suggested operating point that leverages both schemes. We characterize performance and regions of gains using a time-to-deliver based utility to optimize system performance.