The Functionality Discussion with LTE Simulator for Emergency Disaster-Resilient Network Systems

Abstract

The emergency communication system is a critical factor of any disaster rescue operation. Emergency communication based on an LTE system provides an evolution path toward broadband capabilities for existing and new public safety networks. The development of an LTE communication simulator is aimed at improving the performance of radio access. However, backhaul network such as base station and satellite-based relay would cause limited communication resources to hamper the rescue operation process. In this paper, we discuss the problems of disaster relief communication systems and investigate the requirements in the disaster scenario. Based on the previous LTE simulator comparison and the requirement of emergency communication, five functionalities are discussed that include disaster-oriented network management, mobility/user management, radio resource management, disaster-oriented flow management, and modeling framework. These five functionalities can help to evaluate overall resource management after disaster relief. The paper also conducted an offloading simulation to evaluate the radio resource usage for emergent disaster-resilient LTE network systems.