Multi-RAT Dynamic Spectrum Access for 5G Heterogeneous Networks: The SPEED-5G Approach

Research and development of technologies that address the challenges of predicted growth in mobile connections and traffic volume is well known. A major challenge is the cost of meeting the objective, in terms of both infrastructure and deployment. Today, lack of dynamic control across wireless network resources is leading to unbalanced spectrum loads and a perceived capacity bottleneck. The solutions proposed by SPEED-5G through extended dynamic spectrum access (eDSA) address traffic allocation over heterogeneous wireless technologies, better load balancing across available spectrum bands, and capacity boosting through aggregation of available resources while ensuring fair coexistence. The objective of this article is to present a new framework for MAC and RRM layers for supporting eDSA and requirements of the next-generation networks.