Design Optimization of Tracking Area List in Lte Using 2D Markov Model

Abstract

In LTE there is a logical grouping of cells called Tracking Area (TA) and TAs are further grouped into Tracking Area List (TAL). Signaling overhead is greatly affected by the size of the TA and TAL respectively. Designing an optimum TAL would greatly reduce signaling overhead resulting from Tracking Area Update (TAU) and Paging procedures, which in return maximizes the network performance. This paper adopts a 2D Markov model that can be used for design optimization of TAL in LTE system by estimating the number of users in a cell within a time slot and the probability of the next location they might move to, as users move from and into cells periodically. The model was simulated in Matlab simulation software. The 2D Markov model was used to calculate TAU overhead, paging overhead and the total signaling overheads. The numerical results show that our model probably reduces the signaling overhead by about an average of 56% than that of the conventional TA scheme.