Sidelink optimizations for layer-3 based IoT Relaying in 5G NR

<div>The effective support of 5G-Internet of Things (IoT) requires cellular service in deep coverage areas while providing long battery life for IoT devices which perform infrequent small data transmission towards the base station. Relaying is a promising solution to extend the coverage while at the same time meeting the battery life requirements of the IoT devices. Considering this, we analyze the suitability of layer-3 relaying over the 3GPP Release 16 NR-PC5 interface to support massive IoT applications. More precisely, we study the unicast connection establishment mechanism over the NR PC5 interface in a partial coverage scenario. Further, a set of optimizations on the Release 16 NR-PC5 procedure to effectively support massive IoT applications are proposed and analyzed. The obtained performance evaluation results which are presented in terms of data success probability, device power consumption, and signaling overhead, quantify how effectively the Release 16 NR-PC5 interface can support the requirement of IoT in the 5G and beyond era. The proposed sidelink small data transmission and frame-level access provides the largest gain overall and can reduce the device power consumption by an average of 68%, and signaling overhead by 15% while maintaining a data success probability of more than 90% in an IMT-2020 defined IoT traffic scenario.</div>

Sidelink optimizations for layer-3 based IoT Relaying in 5G NR

<div>The effective support of 5G-Internet of Things (IoT) requires cellular service in deep coverage areas while providing long battery life for IoT devices which perform infrequent small data transmission towards the base station. Relaying is a promising solution to extend the coverage while at the same time meeting the battery life requirements of the IoT devices. Considering this, we analyze the suitability of layer-3 relaying over the 3GPP Release 16 NR-PC5 interface to support massive IoT applications. More precisely, we study the unicast connection establishment mechanism over the NR PC5 interface in a partial coverage scenario. Further, a set of optimizations on the Release 16 NR-PC5 procedure to effectively support massive IoT applications are proposed and analyzed. The obtained performance evaluation results which are presented in terms of data success probability, device power consumption, and signaling overhead, quantify how effectively the Release 16 NR-PC5 interface can support the requirement of IoT in the 5G and beyond era. The proposed sidelink small data transmission and frame-level access provides the largest gain overall and can reduce the device power consumption by an average of 68%, and signaling overhead by 15% while maintaining a data success probability of more than 90% in an IMT-2020 defined IoT traffic scenario.</div>

Reinforcement Learning-Based Multihop Relaying: A Decentralized Q-Learning Approach

Conventional optimization-based relay selection for multihop networks cannot resolve the conflict between performance and cost. The optimal selection policy is centralized and requires local channel state information (CSI) of all hops, leading to high computational complexity and signaling overhead. Other optimization-based decentralized policies cause non-negligible performance loss. In this paper, we exploit the benefits of reinforcement learning in relay selection for multihop clustered networks and aim to achieve high performance with limited costs. Multihop relay selection problem is modeled as Markov decision process (MDP) and solved by a decentralized Q-learning scheme with rectified update function. Simulation results show that this scheme achieves near-optimal average end-to-end (E2E) rate. Cost analysis reveals that it also reduces computation complexity and signaling overhead compared with the optimal scheme.

Lightweight Physical Layer Aided Key Agreement and Authentication for the Internet of Things

In this paper, we propose a lightweight physical layer aided authentication and key agreement (PL-AKA) protocol in the Internet of Things (IoT). The conventional evolved packet system AKA (EPS-AKA) used in long-term evolution (LTE) systems may suffer from congestion in core networks by the large signaling overhead as the number of IoT devices increases. Thus, in order to alleviate the overhead, we consider cross-layer authentication by integrating physical layer approaches to cryptography-based schemes. To demonstrate the feasibility of the PL-AKA, universal software radio peripheral (USRP) based tests are conducted as well as numerical simulations. The proposed scheme shows a significant reduction in the signaling overhead, compared to the conventional EPS-AKA in both the simulation and experiment. Therefore, the proposed lightweight PL-AKA has the potential for practical and efficient implementation of large-scale IoT networks.

OPMSS: Optimal Producer Mobility Support Solution for Named Data Networking

Named data networking (NDN) is designed as a clean-slate Internet architecture to replace the current IP Internet architecture. The named data networking was proposed to offer vast advantages, especially with the advent of new content distributions in IoT, 5G and vehicular networking. However, the architecture is still facing challenges for managing content producer mobility. Despite the efforts of many researchers that curtailed the high handoff latency and signaling overhead, there are still some prominent challenges, such as non-optimal routing path, long delay for data delivery and unnecessary interest packet losses. This paper proposed a solution to minimize unnecessary interest packet losses, delay and provide data path optimization when the mobile producer relocates by using mobility update, broadcasting and best route strategies. The proposed solution is implemented, evaluated and benchmarked with an existing Kite solution. The performance analysis result revealed that our proposed Optimal Producer Mobility Support Solution (OPMSS) minimizes the number of unnecessary interest packets lost on average by 30%, and an average delay of 25% to 30%, with almost equal and acceptable signaling overhead costs. Furthermore, it provides a better data packet delivery route than the Kite solution.

Optimization of Mixed Numerology Profiles for 5G Wireless Communication Scenarios

The management of 5G resources is a demanding task, requiring proper planning of operating numerology indexes and spectrum allocation according to current traffic needs. In addition, any reconfigurations to adapt to the current traffic pattern should be minimized to reduce signaling overhead. In this article, the pre-planning of numerology profiles is proposed to address this problem, and a mathematical optimization model for their planning is developed. The idea is to explore requirements and impairments usually present in a given wireless communication scenario to build numerology profiles and then adopt one of the profiles according to the current users/traffic pattern. The model allows the optimization of mixed numerologies in future 5G systems under any wireless communication scenario, with specific service requirements and impairments, and under any traffic scenario. Results show that, depending on the granularity of the profiles, the proposed optimization model is able to provide satisfaction levels of 60–100%, whereas a non-optimized approach provides 40–65%, while minimizing the total number of numerology indexes in operation.