Economic Models for Collaborative Access Network Provisioning: US-Finland Collaboration

无线网络容量的增加在很大程度上来自于小区尺寸的缩小，但对于大型运营商来说，继续这一趋势已经变得不切实际。小型无线网络也在过度拥挤的频段内捉襟见肘。这些问题在高密度802.11部署中尤为严重。显然，利用运营商的大型基础设施部署以及802.11和毫微微蜂窝网络的分布式部署的协作方法可能非常有益。本项目重点研究了与异质无线网络相关的三个主要问题。首先，开发了模型，量化了大型运营商和小规模运营商以及部署自己的无线接入网络的最终用户之间的合作收益。其次，发展了博弈论和定价模型来研究支持异类无线网络协作的激励结构。第三，开发了威胁模型，通过全面的漏洞评估，专门对影响异类无线网络的安全威胁进行建模。这三项任务都得到了频繁的原型和实验的补充。这项工作将立即适用于真实的网络，并将量化协作对网络运营商的好处。此外，该合作项目还将深化美国和芬兰之间的技术合作。本项目中开发的模型将全部提供并发表在科学文献中，提供对异类无线网络的全面了解。这些模型将促进协议和标准的进一步技术发展，以支持开放的、不同种类的无线网络。

Increased capacity in wireless networks has largely come from shrinking cell sizes, but continuing this trend has become impractical for large operators. Small wireless networks are also straining in overcrowded spectrum bands. The problems are particularly acute in high-density 802.11 deployments. It is clear that a collaborative approach, taking advantage of both large infrastructure deployment by operators and distributed deployments of 802.11 and femtocell networks could be extremely beneficial. This project focuses on three major problems related to heterogeneous wireless networks. First, models are developed that quantify the gains from cooperation between large operators and small-scale operators and end users deploying their own wireless access networks. Second, game theoretic and pricing models are developed to study incentive structures to support collaboration in heterogeneous wireless networks. Third, a threat model is developed to specifically model security threats that would impact a heterogeneous wireless network through a holistic vulnerability assessment. These three tasks are all complemented by frequent prototyping and experimentation.This work will be immediately applicable to real networks and will quantify the benefits of collaboration for network operators. In addition, the collaborative project will deepen technological collaboration between the United States and Finland. The models developed in this project will all be available and published in the scientific literature, providing a holistic understanding of heterogeneous wireless networks. These models will catalyze the further technical development of protocols and standards to support open, heterogeneous wireless networks.