In this paper we apply a novel meta-heuristic approach, the Coral Reefs Optimization (CRO) algorithm, to solve a Mobile Network Deployment Problem (MNDP), in which the control of the electromagnetic pollution plays an important role. The CRO is a new bio-inspired meta-heuristic algorithm based on the growing and evolution of coral reefs. The aim of this paper is therefore twofold: first of all, we study the performance of the CRO approach in a real hard optimization problem, and second, we solve an important problem in the field of telecommunications, including the minimization of electromagnetic pollution as a key concept in the problem. We show that the CRO is able to obtain excellent solutions to the MNDP in a real instance in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid, Spain), improving the results obtained by alternative algorithms such as Evolutionary, Particle Swarm Optimization or Harmony Search algorithms. 
A Coral Reefs Optimization algorithm for optimal mobile network deployment with electromagnetic pollution control criterion