Implementing mechanisms to improve the performance of LTE-WLAN Aggregation

Abstract

As the release of 5G gets closer, different technologies appear aiming to make a difference in this next generation of mobile communications. A proposed way to achieve more capacity for end-users in 5G is aggregating Long Term Evolution (LTE) and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and allowing users to connect to both at the same time. There are different technologies that aggregate LTE and WLAN, but in this project we focus only on one: LTE-WLAN Aggregation (LWA). In this thesis we study how offloading WLAN beacons to LTE can improve its performance due to the higher efficiency that LTE brings. This offloading allows to remove overhead from WiFi and UEs using LWA can achieve higher capacities. This investigation has been performed using OpenAirInterface, a software tool used to simulate and emulate LTE networks.