Co-primary inter-operator spectrum sharing over a limited spectrum pool using repeated games

TL;DR

This paper proposes a non-monetary, favor-based spectrum sharing protocol for small cell operators, modeled as a repeated game, enabling improved user rates through cooperation without revealing private information.

Contribution

It introduces a novel favor-based coordination protocol for spectrum sharing, modeled as a repeated game, that enhances resource utilization without monetary transactions or operator data sharing.

Findings

Operators achieve higher user rates with frequent load variations.

The favor exchange protocol promotes cooperation and reciprocity.

No monetary transactions are needed for effective spectrum sharing.

Abstract

We consider two small cell operators deployed in the same geographical area, sharing spectrum resources from a common pool. A method is investigated to coordinate the utilization of the spectrum pool without monetary transactions and without revealing operator-specific information to other parties. For this, we construct a protocol based on asking and receiving spectrum usage favors by the operators, and keeping a book of the favors. A spectrum usage favor is exchanged between the operators if one is asking for a permission to use some of the resources from the pool on an exclusive basis, and the other is willing to accept that. As a result, the proposed method does not force an operator to take action. An operator with a high load may take spectrum usage favors from an operator that has few users to serve, and it is likely to return these favors in the future to show a cooperative spirit and maintain reciprocity. We formulate the interactions between the operators as a repeated game and determine rules to decide whether to ask or grant a favor at each stage game. We illustrate that under frequent network load variations, which are expected to be prominent in small cell deployments, both operators can attain higher user rates as compared to the case of no coordination of the resource utilization.