Maximum throughput scheduling
Maximim throughput scheduling is a procedure for scheduling transmissions to or from different stations in an communications network which maximises the total throughput of the transmission channel. In this case scheduling means addressing a given transmission to a given subscriber on the downlink or granting a given subscriber the permission to transmit on the uplink. Since the bit rate in a communications network depends heavily on the carrier-to-interference ratio (C/I), it follows that maximum throughput will be achieved if every transmission is addressed to the receiver with best C/I at the moment of the transmission. Thus all transmissions may be addressed to only one receiver if it happens continuously to enjoy the highest C/I and if enough data is available to be transmitted to that receiver. All other subscribers will have to wait until their C/I happens to become the best or until all subscribers with higher C/I have no more data to receive.
This scheduling algorithm is disadvantageous to the majority of subscribers because a single subscriber with the best access to the transmitter and enjoying high C/I may gain exclusive use of the shared channel for the entire time of its operation. Meanwhile, subscribers with poorer access to the transmitter may almost never be able to use the shared channel because their C/I will always be lower.
A maximum throughput scheduling algorithm would maximise data tramsmission through a given network, but it would not be likely to maximize profit for the network operator. The levels of customer satisfaction would remain low due to many customers experiencing long or permanent outages. In a reasonably loaded network the majority of the customers would rarely enjoy the highest C/I and would thus often be unable to receive their data.
Unlike the Round Robin algorithm, a maximum throughput scheduling algorithm relies on cooperating subscriber terminals which truthfully report their measured downlink C/I.