A case for coordinated dynamic spectrum access in cellular networks

Majority of research in Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) networks has focused on free-for-all, opportunistic spectrum access for peer-to-peer ad-hoc communication, typically targeting military applications. In this paper, we propose that a simple form of DSA called Coordinated DSA that relies on a regional spectrum broker to control spectrum access can bring benefits to current statically provisioned cellular networks. We argue that two concepts, namely a dynamically sharable spectrum band called Coordinated Access Band (CAB) band and Statistically Multiplexed Access (SMA) to spectrum that relies on demand aggregation can achieve better spectrum utilization. We describe in detail our spectrum measurements in existing cellular networks to conclusively demonstrate the feasibility of these concepts.