Performance evaluation of advanced spectrum functionalities for future radio networks

This paper presents novel spectral resource management (SRM) functionalities of WINNER ‡ The WINNER project is a major European research activity to develop a flexible and scalable radio access interface for future wireless communication systems. project. The proposed SRM spectrum architecture uses more efficient resource allocation techniques where flexible spectrum access and usage leads to more capable and faster services with high quality‐of‐service (QoS) giving more user satisfaction than conventional networks. In this context, short‐term (ST) spectrum assignment is proposed where spectral resources are exchanged between WINNER radio access networks (RANs) on a fast basis, leading to a better utilization of the spectrum. Moreover, multi‐band scheduler (MBS) and base station (BS) to BS communications are presented as key enablers for efficient dynamic spectrum management. Performance gains of ST spectrum assignment are analyzed in a multi‐network, multi‐cell environment based on realistic traffic patterns while taking inter‐cell interference into account. The results confirm that spectrum availability and utilization can be considerably enhanced. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.