Impact of Intercell Interference on Key Performance Metrics in Heterogeneous Networks: A Quantitative Assessment

This study investigates the impact of intercell interference (ICI) on the performance of LTE heterogeneous networks using real-world measurements and MATLAB-based simulations. Drive test data were collected across a mapped route within the University of Port Harcourt, where SINR and throughput were evaluated at increasing distances from an interfering cell. The findings reveal a strong correlation between interference, SINR, and network capacity. At a close range of 100 meters, the SINR and throughput were measured at 10.4 dB and 25.68 Mbps, respectively. As the distance increased to 1500 meters, SINR improved to 24.0 dB, while throughput peaked at 62.75 Mbps. Simulation results further confirmed that applying enhanced feedforward Neural network (eFFNN) technique significantly improved effective capacity from 21.37 Mbps at 100 meters to 46.30 Mbps at 1500 meters. The measured data closely aligned with theoretical predictions using Shannon capacity estimates. These results underscore the importance of interference-aware design and signal management strategies in optimizing LTE heterogeneous network performance.