NeTS:medium: Design of Dynamic Spectrum Markets for Wireless Networks

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). It is widely recognized that current wireless spectrum policy has been an impediment to the continued growth of high-capacity wireless networks. This project is investigating the consequences of lifting current restrictions on spectrum allocation and ownership, and allowing for extensive spectrum markets for allocating spectrum across locations, times and diverse applications. Various market structures that may emerge in such a setting are being studied using multi-disciplinary techniques including ideas from micro-economics, optimization theory and wireless networking. A key issue being explored is how to define the spectrum assets that will be traded in such a market taking into account both the interference among different users of wireless spectrum and the performance of the resulting market mechanisms. This results in a characterization of the trade-offs, in terms of efficiency and complexity of different asset definitions and market mechanisms. These results provide new insights into market-based allocation for wireless spectrum. Results disseminated via publications could help facilitate a transition to new market structures that may lower the barriers to entry into the wireless services market thereby facilitating competition and the introduction of new services. The infusion of the cross-disciplinary ideas developed through this project into graduate classes also broadens the training of graduate students.