EPSRC/VCE Strategic Partnership: Green Radio

Lead Research Organisation: Swansea University
Department Name: Institute of Advanced Telecommunications

Abstract

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Description That small cells and cell densification in radio access networks helps to save energy consumption while growing capacity. That the salient energy and capacity metrics in radio access networks is area averaged power, area averaged throughput and their product. That energy efficiency should be evaluated in terms of both energy savings and capacity gains separately and not as one bit/joule metric.
Exploitation Route Findings can be used to design future radio access networks such as LTE-Advanced (4G). Findings directly support and initiate research into 5G radio access networks.
Sectors Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)
URL http://www.mobilevce.com
 
Description Principles developed in Green Radio on energy saving and capacity enhancement through small cell deployment has become a major solution for 4G networks as well as setting the research agenda for 5G research into heterogeneous and small cell networks. The Green Radio energy efficiency evaluation framework is now widely recognised as the most appropriate method to evaluate energy efficiency in wireless networks.
First Year Of Impact 2012
Sector Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)
Impact Types Societal,Economic
 
Description Towards an Intelligent Information Infrastructure
Amount £853,379 (GBP)
Funding ID EP/L026147/1 
Organisation Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2015 
End 12/2017
 
Description Green Radio Mobile VCE 
Organisation King's College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution New techniques to reduce energy consumption in wireless networks. Specifically, new energy consumption metrics; a system level simulator of LTE; small cell radio access network studies; energy efficient packet scheduling protocols; energy efficient deployment strategies for indoor femtocells and WiFi access points; and relaying techniques based on network coding principles.
Collaborator Contribution Edinburgh contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on sleepmodes, packet scheduling and femtocell deployment. Bristol contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on antennas, power amplifier design and radio resource allocation. KCL contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on relaying and network routing. Mobile VCE contributed through steering the project, providing data and technical expertise.
Impact The main Sheffield outcomes are listed against EP/G064105/1
Start Year 2008
 
Description Green Radio Mobile VCE 
Organisation University of Bristol
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution New techniques to reduce energy consumption in wireless networks. Specifically, new energy consumption metrics; a system level simulator of LTE; small cell radio access network studies; energy efficient packet scheduling protocols; energy efficient deployment strategies for indoor femtocells and WiFi access points; and relaying techniques based on network coding principles.
Collaborator Contribution Edinburgh contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on sleepmodes, packet scheduling and femtocell deployment. Bristol contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on antennas, power amplifier design and radio resource allocation. KCL contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on relaying and network routing. Mobile VCE contributed through steering the project, providing data and technical expertise.
Impact The main Sheffield outcomes are listed against EP/G064105/1
Start Year 2008
 
Description Green Radio Mobile VCE 
Organisation University of Edinburgh
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution New techniques to reduce energy consumption in wireless networks. Specifically, new energy consumption metrics; a system level simulator of LTE; small cell radio access network studies; energy efficient packet scheduling protocols; energy efficient deployment strategies for indoor femtocells and WiFi access points; and relaying techniques based on network coding principles.
Collaborator Contribution Edinburgh contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on sleepmodes, packet scheduling and femtocell deployment. Bristol contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on antennas, power amplifier design and radio resource allocation. KCL contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on relaying and network routing. Mobile VCE contributed through steering the project, providing data and technical expertise.
Impact The main Sheffield outcomes are listed against EP/G064105/1
Start Year 2008
 
Description Green Radio Mobile VCE 
Organisation Virtual Centre of Excellence (VCE) in mobile communications
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution New techniques to reduce energy consumption in wireless networks. Specifically, new energy consumption metrics; a system level simulator of LTE; small cell radio access network studies; energy efficient packet scheduling protocols; energy efficient deployment strategies for indoor femtocells and WiFi access points; and relaying techniques based on network coding principles.
Collaborator Contribution Edinburgh contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on sleepmodes, packet scheduling and femtocell deployment. Bristol contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on antennas, power amplifier design and radio resource allocation. KCL contributed techniques to reduce wireless network energy consumption based on relaying and network routing. Mobile VCE contributed through steering the project, providing data and technical expertise.
Impact The main Sheffield outcomes are listed against EP/G064105/1
Start Year 2008
 
Title VCE System Level Simulator (VCEsim) 
Description As part of the Green Radio project, a system level simulator for modelling the performance of multi-user, multi-cell LTE radio access networks was developed. The software was used to evaluate the energy efficiency of techniques developed by researchers across Bristol, Edinburgh, KCL and Sheffield to established an integrated energy solution. The software was made available in open source form to the member companies of MVCE and the partner Universities. 
Type Of Technology Software 
Year Produced 2012 
Open Source License? Yes  
Impact To inform industry and the academic community of the energy saving potential of small cell and Het Net deployments in 4G networks. The outputs have directly fed the research agenda in 5G where cell densification is a major strategy to both in crease capacity whilst saving energy. A key reference is: Badic, B., O'Farrell, T., Loskot, P. and He, J., "Energy efficient radio access architectures for green radio: large versus small cell size deployment", Proc. of 70th IEEE Vehicular Technology Conference (VTC2009-Fall), Anchorage, Alaska, USA, 20-23 September 2009 Invited Paper (DOI: 10.1109/VETECF.2009.5379035, cited: 144) 
URL http://www.commnet.ac.uk/documents/wireless_testbeds/1_UK-EU%20testbeds.pdf
 
Description China Expo Shanghai 2010 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact Created discussion on the role of industry steered academic research.

Increased the profile of energy efficient research in wireless communications helping to motivate a global research effort.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description Femtocell World Summit 2009 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Increased awareness of the Green Radio project to an international industrial forum.

Increased awareness of the Green Radio research programme and the importance of energy efficiency in wireless networks.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2009
 
Description LTE World Summit 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Raised awareness of the energy saving potential of small cells.

Established small cells as a primary solution for increasing LTE radio access network capacity while saving energy.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2010
 
Description Next Generation Wireless Green Networks Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? Yes
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Raised awareness of the Green Radio project

Raised awareness of the Green Radio research programme.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2009