Secure Communications via Cooperating Base Stations

A novel approach for ensuring confidential communications over infrastructure-based wireless networks is proposed and analyzed from an information-theoretic standpoint. The technique leverages the high-capacity backbone connecting the base stations and prescribes appropriate scheduling of uplink/downlink transmissions in order to create intentional interference without loss of power or spectral efficiency. Analysis is carried out for Gaussian channels and numerical results are provided for fading channels with partial channel state information, showing the promising performance advantages of the considered strategy.