Fifth generation wireless networks (5G) will face key challenges caused by diverse patterns of traffic demands and massive deployment of heterogeneous access points. In order to handle this complexity, machine learning techniques are expected to play a major role. However, due to the large space of parameters related to network optimization, collecting data to train models for all possible network configurations can be prohibitive. In this paper, we analyze the possibility of performing a knowledge transfer, in which a machine learning model trained on a particular network configuration is used to predict a quantity of interest in a new, unknown setting. We focus on the tilt-dependent received signal strength maps as quantities of interest and we analyze two cases where the knowledge acquired for a particular antenna tilt setting is transferred to (i) a different tilt configuration of the same antenna or (ii) a different antenna with the same tilt configuration. Promising results supporting knowledge transfer are obtained through extensive experiments conducted using different machine learning models on a real dataset.
Funding Agencies|European Union [643002]