Cooperative Content Dissemination and Offloading in Heterogeneous Mobile Networks

To cope with an exponentially increasing demand on mobile data traffic in cellular networks, high-capacity WiFi and device-to-device networks can be exploited as a complementary means to offload and reduce the traffic load of cellular networks. This paper proposes a novel cooperative content dissemination strategy for a heterogeneous network consisting of different types of devices, such as WiFi access points (APs), smartphones, and intelligent vehicles. The proposed strategy offloads a significant proportion of data traffic from cellular networks to WiFi or device-to-device networks using ad hoc connections that opportunistically emerge when mobile devices move and meet one another. The strategy is particularly suited for dissemination of delay-tolerant content. Detailed analysis is provided for the content dissemination process in heterogeneous mobile networks adopting the proposed strategy. On this basis, the optimal parameter settings for the content dissemination strategy are discussed. Simulation and numerical results show that the proposed strategy significantly reduces the amount of data traffic for cellular networks while guaranteeing the successful delivery of content.