This paper characterizes, through a stochastic geometry analysis, the increase in spectral efficiency that full-duplex transmission brings about in wireless networks. While, on isolated links, full-duplex promises a doubling of the spectral efficiency, in the context of a network this is weighted down by the corresponding rise in interference, and our characterization captures the balance of these effects. The analysis encompasses both the forward link (FL) and the reverse link (RL) with single-user and multiuser transmissions. And, as a complement to the analysis, Monte-Carlo simulations on a Vodafone LTE field test network are also presented. In the FL, the rise in interference is found to have minor impact and a doubling in spectral efficiency can indeed be approached, especially in microcellular networks. In the RL, however, a major difficulty arises in the form of exceedingly strong interference among base stations. This renders full-duplex transmission all but unfeasible in macrocellular networks (unless major countermeasures could be implemented) and undesirable in dense microcellular networks. Only in microcells with sufficient spacing among base stations does RL full-duplex pay off. Thus, full-duplex is seen not to blend easily with densification.

This work was supported in part by the Project TEC2015-66228-P (MINECO/FEDER, UE) and in part by the European Research Council under the H2020 Framework Programme/ERC under Grant 694974.