Threshold-based 5G NR base station management for energy saving

Greta Vallero, Michela Meo, Wout Joseph, Margot Deruyck

Abstract: In spite of promising outcomes in optimizing energy usage for Radio Access Network (RAN) Base Station (BS) hardware, deployment, and resource management, existing methods frequently lack flexibility for scenarios involving multiple frequencies and technologies of BSs. This investigation presents a comprehensive BS switching strategy based on a threshold, tailored for real-world multi-frequency and multi-technology BSs within the RAN. The proposed approach strategically deactivates BSs using a threshold parameter that determines the maximum allowable growth in transmission power for active BSs, ensuring both coverage for users affected by BS deactivation and energy saving. Simulations conducted on a realistic multi-technology 5G New Radio (NR) RAN in an urban environment validate the efficacy of the proposed strategy, achieving up to 73% of energy saving. The study assesses the influence of the frequency order of BS deactivation and examines user re-association strategies aimed at minimizing either path loss or transmission power.