Cell-Edge User Offloading via Flying UAV in Non-Uniform Heterogeneous Cellular Networks

Providing reliable and efficient coverage for cell-edge mobile users (MUs) is a key issue in wireless communication networks. With non-uniform structure and heterogeneity of network topology in the 5G/B5G networks, performance improvement of cell-edge MUs becomes even more challenging. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) exhibits a comparable advantage in enhancing cell edge performance due to its flexible mobility and line-of-sight air-to-ground links. In this paper, we study UAV-assisted cell-edge MU offloading in the non-uniform heterogeneous cellular networks. A base station (BS) coordination and ground-to-air offloading scheme is proposed to enhance the cell-edge MUs’ performance, whereby cell-edge MUs are periodically scheduled between coordinated ground BSs and a flying UAV. Furthermore, a theoretical framework is developed to analyze the average spectral efficiency (SE) and average network throughput. Specifically, closed-form expressions for the average SE are derived for MUs associated with the ground BSs. Upper and lower bounds for the average SE are also obtained when the MU is offloaded to the flying UAV. Finally, numerical and simulation results are provided to validate the theoretical analysis and investigate the impact of key system parameters on the system performance, which also demonstrate the advantages of the UAV-assisted offloading scheme, compared with benchmark solutions.