Empirical performance models for P2P and two hops multi-hop cellular networks with mobile relays

Multi-hop Cellular Networks using Mobile Relays (MCN-MR) are being studied to overcome certain limitations of traditional single hop cellular systems through the integration of cellular and Peer to Peer (P2P) ad-hoc communications. Current MCN-MR research is generally analytical or simulation based, and there is yet the need for studies that empirically demonstrate the potential of MCN-MR and provide valuable models for the research community. In this context, this paper presents the first 2-hop MCN-MR empirical performance models derived from field tests over live networks. The MCN-MR performance is measured for downlink transmissions as the throughput experienced by mobile users. The model parameters are shown to depend on the distance, Line-Of-Sight (LOS) or Non-LOS (NLOS) conditions, and communication settings of the ad-hoc link. As a result, the paper also reports a set of distance-based empirical P2P link level models.