On Maximizing Coverage in Gaussian Relay Networks

Results for Gaussian relay channels typically focus on maximizing transmission rates for given locations of the source, relay and destination. We introduce an alternative perspective, where the objective is maximizing coverage for a given rate. The new objective captures the problem of how to deploy relays to provide a given level of service to a particular geographic area, where the relay locations become a design parameter that can be optimized. We evaluate the decode and forward (DF) and compress and forward (CF) strategies for the relay channel with respect to the new objective of maximizing coverage. When the objective is maximizing rate, different locations of the destination favor different strategies. When the objective is coverage for a given rate, and the relay is able to decode, DF is uniformly superior in that it provides coverage at any point served by CF. When the channel model is modified to include random fading, we show that the monotone ordering of coverage regions is...

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2008
• Where: CORR
• Authors: Vaneet Aggarwal, Amir Bennatan, A. Robert Calderbank
• Keywords: CORR 2008, Education, Gaussian Relay Channels, Relay, Relay Channel