Asymptotic Capacity Bounds for Wireless Networks with Non-Uniform Traffic

Abstract

We develop bounds on the capacity of wireless networks when the traffic is non-uniform, i.e., not all nodes are required to receive and send similar volumes of traffic. Our results are asymptotic, i.e., they hold with probability going to unity as the number of nodes goes to infinity. We study \emph{(i)} asymmetric networks, where the numbers of sources and destinations of traffic are unequal, \emph{(ii)} multicast networks, in which each created packet has multiple destinations, \emph{(iii)} cluster networks, that consist of clients and a limited number of cluster heads, and each client wants to communicate with any of the cluster heads, and \emph{(iv)} hybrid networks, in which the nodes are supported by a limited infrastructure. Our findings quantify the fundamental capabilities of these wireless networks to handle traffic bottlenecks, and point to correct design principles that achieve the capacity without resorting to overly complicated protocols.