Analysis of LTE-A Random Access Procedure: A Foundation to Propose Mechanisms for Managing the M2M Massive Access in Wireless Cellular Networks

Machine-to-machine (M2M) communication or machinetype communication (MTC) is considered an integral part of the socalled Internet of Things. M2M provides ubiquitous connectivity among devices without human intervention. Using cellular networks to provide M2M connectivity presents numerous advantages (coverage, roaming support, interoperability, well developed charging and security solutions among others). However, a large number of devices, that may need to communicate over a short period of time, can cause problematic situations which hugely impacts the radio access and core networks of the cellular system. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey on random access procedure in the context of 3GPP Long-Term Evolution (LTE) and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A). Specifically, we give a complete description of the parameters and the information necessary to evaluate the random access procedure when the cellular network is subjected to M2M traffic. It will be useful for designing mechanisms and algorithms to efficiently manage the massive accesses on the air interface.