A new location-allocation-problem for mobile telecommunication rigs model under crises and natural disasters: a real case study

With the improvement of mobile technology, the importance of the communication industry and telecommunication transmission facilities has grown, and the number of subscribers has increased gradually. That is why the issue of covering mobile telecommunication rigs and telecommunication facilities is important. Locating rigs in suitable places and reinforcing them during crises and natural disasters can be helpful for users, especially in places with poor signal strength. In addition, by the efficient allocation of rigs to suitable locations, areas with a high population are eliminated at base stations. In this paper, a novel Mixed-Integer Non-Linear Programming (MINLP) model is presented to cover and allocate base mobile telecommunication rigs optimally under critical conditions in different locations. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed model, the LP-metric method is used for small-sized problems, while a simulated annealing algorithm is applied for large-sized problems. To tune of the parameter's algorithm, Taguchi method is used. Several test instances are suggested to evaluate the efficiency of the suggested solution methods. The proposed model is also implemented in a case study to show its usefulness and performance in practice. Eventually, the optimal network presented in the case study is explained.