Performance comparison of dual connectivity with CoMP in heterogeneous cellular networks

The dual connectivity (DC) can increase the users' throughput in heterogeneous cellular networks (HCNs). Additionally, the coordinated multi-point (CoMP) based transmission/reception can provide higher coverage and throughput in HCNs, specially to edge users in the cell. In this paper, we frame the resource allocation problem for DC as an optimization problem and present the optimal user scheduling for a time based scheduler. We compare the throughput and coverage performance of DC with respect to CoMP in a HCN. Further, extensive simulation results are presented for various user densities and number of small cells in diverse physical scenarios. The results are highly relevant for selection of appropriate technology in HCNs by cellular network operators