Throughput Maximizing Multiuser Scheduling with Adjustable Fairness

We address the problem of downlink multiuser scheduling in practical wireless networks under a desired fairness constraint. Wireless networks such as LTE, WiMAX and WiFi provide partial channel knowledge at the base station/access point by means of quantized user equipment feedback. Specifically in 3GPP's LTE, the Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) feedback provides time-frequency selective information on achievable rates. This knowledge enables the scheduler to achieve multiuser diversity gains by assigning resources to users with favorable channel conditions. However, focusing only on the possible diversity gains leads to unfair treatment of the individual users. To overcome this situation we propose a method for multiuser scheduling that operates on the boundary of the achievable multiuser rate region while guaranteeing a desired long term average fairness. Our method is based on a sum utility maximization of the α-fair utility functions. To obtain a given fairness, quantified with Jain's fairness index, it is necessary to find an appropriate α, which we obtain from the observed CQI probability mass function.