An Application-Aware Spectrum Sharing Approach for Commercial Use of 3.5 GHz Spectrum

TL;DR

This paper proposes an application-aware spectrum sharing method for 3.5 GHz band, optimizing resource allocation to ensure minimum utility for users' applications and improve overall network QoE.

Contribution

It introduces a novel spectrum sharing algorithm that allocates macro and small cell resources based on application utility functions and minimum QoE requirements.

Findings

The algorithm effectively meets users' minimum utility requirements.

Simulation results show improved overall QoE.

Resource allocation adapts to application types and utility needs.

Abstract

In this paper, we introduce an application-aware spectrum sharing approach for sharing the Federal under-utilized 3.5 GHz spectrum with commercial users. In our model, users are running elastic or inelastic traffic and each application running on the user equipment (UE) is assigned a utility function based on its type. Furthermore, each of the small cells users has a minimum required target utility for its application. In order for users located under the coverage area of the small cells' eNodeBs, with the 3.5 GHz band resources, to meet their minimum required quality of experience (QoE), the network operator makes a decision regarding the need for sharing the macro cell's resources to obtain additional resources. Our objective is to provide each user with a rate that satisfies its application's minimum required utility through spectrum sharing approach and improve the overall QoE in the network. We present an application-aware spectrum sharing algorithm that is based on resource allocation with carrier aggregation to allocate macro cell permanent resources and small cells' leased resources to UEs and allocate each user's application an aggregated rate that can at minimum achieves the application's minimum required utility. Finally, we present simulation results for the performance of the proposed algorithm.