Cell Zooming in LTE-R as a Potential Game

LTE-R will definitely substitute GSM-R to railway communications, especially in high-speed trains, due to its inherent improvements such as coverage and performance. The placement of cells along the route of the train is of paramount importance. GSM-R is a quite old method that suffers from the drawbacks of the GSM technology, while LTE is faster and more reliable. The concept of substituting the GSM-R with LTE-R is a further improvement to railway communications. In this paper we take onboard a linear LTE-R cell network that caters to high-speed train passengers and nearby regions. Addressing inter-cell interference, it’s vital for cells to adapt coverage dynamically, zooming in or out to optimize costs and maintain uninterrupted coverage. We conceptualize this challenge as a linear graph-coloring problem with two colors, enabling cells to transition between micro and macro configurations as required. Our goal is to minimize costs while guaranteeing seamless coverage. This collaborative approach enhances service quality for train passengers and neighboring areas by effectively meeting communication needs through adaptive coverage adjustments.