Optimal Load Balancing Algorithm for Multi-Cell LTE Networks

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is a promising option for the 4th generation communications because of its higher data rates, lower latency and larger coverage. However, in a multi-cell LTE network, the network performance may be deteriorated by load imbalance. The unbalanced load among multiple cells leads to a higher delay and a higher packet drop rate in the over-loaded cell, or an underutilization of resources in the under-loaded cell. In order to solve this problem, we propose a practical load balancing algorithm to find the optimal handover operations between the overloaded cell and possible target cells. The simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can reduce network overload and increase the network bandwidth efficiency.