Energy-aware Guard Channel Allocation to Minimize Congestion in Next-generation Mobile Network.
Network congestion and energy sustainability are critical challenges in the transition to 5G and 6G networks. Traditional guard channel schemes prioritize handoffs to reduce call drops but often result in poor resource management and ignore escalating energy costs. This research addresses these limitations by proposing a novel Energy-Aware Guard Channel Allocation (EAGCA) scheme. The novelty of EAGCA lies in its dynamic controller, which uniquely integrates mobility prediction and real-time traffic patterns with base station energy profiles, a factor largely overlooked in existing models. Using a weighted objective function, the scheme enables operators to balance Call Dropping Probability (CDP) against system energy consumption. Simulation results demonstrate that EAGCA significantly outperforms Fixed Guard Channel Allocation (FGCA) and Adaptive Guard Channel Allocation with Load Balancing (AGC_LB). EAGCA consistently achieved the lowest CDP (0.8% to 4.5%) and superior energy efficiency, with consumption rates between 120W and 210W, notably lower than competing benchmarks. Practically, these results imply that EAGCA offers a robust, sustainable framework for network operators to reduce operational expenditure (OPEX) and environmental impact without compromising quality of service. By dynamically aligning resource reservation with energy profiles, the scheme provides a viable roadmap for deploying efficient, high-capacity next-generation mobile infrastructure.
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