In 5G and beyond (5GB) networks, the notion of cell tends to blur, as a set of points-of-access (PoAs) using different technologies often cover overlapping areas. In this context, high-quality decisions are needed about (i) which PoA to use when serving an end user and (ii) how to manage PoAs, e.g., how to set their power levels. To address this challenge, we present Cluster-then-Match (CtM), an efficient algorithm making joint decisions about user assignment and PoA management. Following the human-centric networking paradigm, such decisions account not only for the performance of the network, but also for the level of electromagnetic field exposure to which human bodies incur and energy consumption. Our performance evaluation shows how CtM can match the performance of state-of-the-art network management schemes, while reducing electromagnetic emissions and energy consumption by over 80%.

翻译：在5G及后续（5GB）网络中，随着采用不同技术的接入点集合常覆盖重叠区域，小区的概念趋于模糊。在此背景下，需要就以下两个问题做出高质量决策：（i）为服务终端用户时选择哪个接入点，（ii）如何管理接入点，例如如何设定其功率水平。为应对这一挑战，我们提出"先聚类再匹配"算法，这是一种能同时优化用户分配与接入点管理的高效算法。遵循以人为本的网络范式，这些决策不仅考虑网络性能，还综合考虑人体所受电磁场暴露水平与能源消耗。性能评估表明，CtM在匹配现有最优网络管理方案性能的同时，能将电磁辐射与能源消耗降低超过80%。