On the physical layer security in large scale cellular networks

Abstract

This paper studies the information-theoretic secrecy performance in large-scale cellular networks based on a stochastic geometry framework. The locations of both base stations and the mobile users are modeled as independent two-dimensional Poisson point processes. We consider a key feature of the cellular network, namely, information exchange between base stations, and characterize its impact on the achievable secrecy rate of an arbitrary downlink transmission with a certain portion of the mobile users acting as potential eavesdroppers. In particular, analytical results are presented under diverse assumptions on the availability of eavesdroppers' location information at the serving base station, which captures the benefit from the exchange of mobile users' location information between base stations.