Cluster Number Planning Method for mMTC in Resource Reuse Scenarios

One major feature of mMTC is its typically massive number of device connections, with an estimated 125 billion IoT devices by 2030. As the number of devices grows, the competition for the limited wireless resources of networks intensifies, giving rise to issues like network congestion and access channel overload. The clustering approach, a technological measure capable of reducing energy consumption and enabling massive connections, is regarded as the most promising solution to these problems. Nevertheless, the number of clusters, being a vital parameter in clustering design, can impact performances such as transmission delay, network energy consumption, and energy efficiency. Devising a reasonable and reliable cluster number planning scheme is of great significance for ensuring the efficient operation of the entire mMTC network. Thus, to address the current situation of scarce orthogonal resources under massive access, this paper first puts forward an optimal cluster number planning scheme aiming at maximizing energy efficiency under intra-cluster resource reuse, and uses the fmincon toolbox in MATLAB to solve the nonlinear programming problem.