Performance evaluation of mobility robustness optimization (MRO) in 5G network with various mobility speed scenarios

Abstract

The massive deployment of small-sized cells for the Fifth Generation (5G) mobile network will increase the Handover Probability (HOP), potentially causing higher Handover Ping-Pong Probability (HPPP) and/or Radio Link Failure (RLF). Inappropriate usage of Handover Control Parameter (HCP) settings may further exasperate this issue. Therefore, Mobility Robustness Optimisation (MRO) has been introduced and further developed as a significant Self-Optimisation Network (SON) function in the 5G network and beyond. The main aim of MRO is to address Mobility Management (MM) issues during user mobility between cells to ensure a smooth connection. Although various algorithms were suggested in the literature, they mostly cater to 4G networks which may not be effective for the 5G network due to different network characterisations. This paper analyses the performance of various MRO algorithms with various system settings and scenarios for the 5G network. The investigated algorithms from the literature include the Distance (Dis), Cost Function (CF), Fuzzy Logic Controller (FLC) and Handover Performance Indicator (HPI). Validation has been accomplished for different mobility conditions in the 5G network. A simulation based on the MATLAB software has been conducted using various system tools. The evaluation analysis is in terms of Signal to-Interference-plus-Noise-Ratio (SINR), HPPP and RLF effects since these are major indicators in assessing system performance and selecting the handover decision during user mobility. The simulation outcomes show that the HPI algorithm performance is more reactive to mobile speed scenarios over time, significantly reducing the HPPP compared to the other algorithms which do not provide large reactions in the same conditions. Simultaneously, the HPI algorithm exhibits the highest RLF and SINR from among the other algorithms. The distance algorithm is the best in terms of RLF and SINR, achieving an acceptable level in terms of HPPP. These results point to that the MRO algorithm that operate based on distance is the most robust compared to the other investigated algorithms, confirming the potential of the Dis approach for the 5G network.