A Framework for LTE-A Proximity-based Device-to-Device Service Registration and Discovery

Device-to-Device (D2D) communications in Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks has been proposed as a promising concept as part of the LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) framework, whose aim is to improve user experiences and resource utilization, taking advantage of users’ proximity to each other. In order to extend the current LTE-A system to support D2D communication, there is a need to work on enhancements on the network architecture level. In this paper, we survey the work proposed so far by researchers and propose a design that extends the Third Generation Partnership Project's (3GPP) definition of proximity based services, describing by this the necessary supporting elements.