On the Analysis of Device-to-Device Overlaid Cellular Networks in the Uplink under 3GPP Propagation Model

In this article we employ the third generation partnership project (3GPP) recommended path loss models for the analysis of cellular networks overlaid with D2D communication and channel inversion power control in the uplink. We characterize the coverage and average network throughput with the help of stochastic geometry. More specifically, we develop tractable expressions for the coverage in cellular and D2D modes. Our theoretical results differ significantly from previous work, which uses simple power law path loss models. The traditional methodology does not account for the presence of line-of-sight (LoS), non-line-of-sight (NLoS) and free space (FS) links. We demonstrate that such classification of links significantly impacts the inference which can be derived from the analysis for the design of overlaid D2D networks. In particular, we show that, contrary to the previous findings, the average throughput of the network does not saturate with the increase in the density of base stations (BS), but there exists an optimal mode selection threshold and BS density which maximizes the average throughput.