Energy Efficiency in Network Communication Systems Through Bio-Inspired Optimization

Abstract

Energy consumption is a critical issue for future wireless communication networks. Heterogeneous networks (HetNets) are considered a promising approach in fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks to meet the increasing data traffic demands. Expanding network coverage by adding more base stations significantly raises power costs. In a two-tier network setup, macrocell base stations (MBs) collaborate with small cell base stations (SBs) to provide broad coverage. However, light traffic loads at some SBs still result in excessive energy consumption. To address this, SBs can be switched off to reduce power usage and improve the overall energy efficiency (EE) of the network. This study presents a bio-inspired approach using Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) to optimize SB operation modes. SBs can operate in four power modes—On, Standby, Sleep, and Off—regulated by a bias factor to balance energy efficiency and coverage. The ACO-based Variant Power Mode Selection (ACO-VPMS) algorithm is proposed to select appropriate SB operation modes. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is able to achieve higher energy efficiency compared to existing methods.