Collaborative Research: EARS: Creating an Ecosystem for Enhanced Spectrum Utilization Through Dynamic Market Mechanisms

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The surge in demand for Internet access using smart hand held devices has resulted in the emergence of a multitude of apps and devices, which have diverse requirements and capabilities. However, underlying policies for scheduling cellular resources are optimized for average or worst case performance, and do not allow end-users to indicate the relative value of resources on the packet level. Simultaneously, it has become clear that while there are insufficient bandwidth resources for unlimited cellular data plans, the prevailing scheme of degrading access after a certain limit is exceeded is both unpopular and inefficient.The main goal of this project is to bridge the disconnects between user preferences and allocated resources by the use of dynamic market mechanisms that allow for packet-level value determination over time. The objective is to study both primary markets in which service providers sell network access to end-users, as well as secondary markets in which end-users share resources via hot spots and device-to-device networking. While doing so, the project identifies the impact of such packet-scale transactions on the incentives and efficiency of the market at a long time-scale, packet-aggregate level. The project takes an important step towards the systematic design of dynamic mechanisms for resource sharing in wireless communication networks, which would innately account for user preferences and valuations. The PIs will develop an analytical framework for designing dynamic market-based mechanisms that would implicitly allow the determination of the value of allocating and trading resources among various agents. The research is organized into three inter-dependent areas: 1) Value Identification and Resource Scheduling in Single-Sided Markets; 2) Utilizing End-User Resources through Two-sided Markets; 3) Policy and Provisioning Decisions. The dynamic market mechanisms that are developed will be tested via experiments conducted on a smart phone test bed in order to better understand real-world implications. All three PIs are heavily involved in the education and training of graduate and undergraduate students, and the proposed work will further strengthen the students? exposure to network control, game theory and optimization. The project will disseminate results to the public through seminars and summer camps focusing on electrical engineering concepts appropriate for high school level students.