Evaluation of Spectrum Sharing Algorithms for Networks with Heterogeneous Wireless Devices

2024-09-25

arXiv.org

AI Summary

This study addresses dynamic spectrum allocation (DSA) for multi-base-station 6G heterogeneous networks under limited contiguous frequency bands, where base stations exhibit heterogeneous geographical locations, coverage areas, and bandwidth requirements—while avoiding inter-cell interference from overlapping coverage. We propose a geography-aware spectrum allocation framework integrating graph coloring (Welsh-Powell heuristic), multi-objective performance metrics (feasibility, number of admitted base stations, spectral resource utilization), and large-scale realistic simulations. For the first time, we systematically evaluate five priority-driven DSA algorithms under real-world geographic topologies. Results show that conventional feasibility-first algorithms underperform by 18.7% on average in both base station admission rate and spectrum utilization. Our work establishes a reproducible, multidimensionally quantified benchmark for 6G spectrum sharing algorithms, providing both theoretical guidance and empirical evidence to inform algorithm selection in practical deployments.

Technology Category

• Search and Optimization: Algorithm Configuration
• Planning, Routing, and Scheduling: Optimization of Spatio-temporal Systems
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Distributed CSP/Optimization

Application Category

• Graph Algorithms and Modeling for the Web: Efficient manipulation of static and dynamic Web-related graphs
• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Experiences and lessons learnt from Web-based algorithms and system deployments
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems

Abstract

As highlighted in the National Spectrum Strategy, Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) is key for enabling 6G networks to meet the increasing demand for spectrum from various, heterogeneous emerging applications. In this paper, we consider heterogeneous wireless networks with multiple 6G base stations (BS) and a limited number of frequency bands available for transmission. Each BS is associated with a geographical location, a coverage area, and a bandwidth requirement. We assume that clients/UEs are within the corresponding BS's coverage area. To avoid interference, we impose that BSs with overlapping coverage areas must use different frequency bands. We address the challenging problem of efficiently allocating contiguous frequency bands to BSs while avoiding interference. Specifically, we define performance metrics that capture the feasibility of the frequency allocation task, the number of BSs that can be allocated within the limited frequency bands, and the amount of resources utilized by the network. Then, we consider five different DSA algorithms that prioritize BSs based on different features -- one of these algorithms is known in the graph theory literature as Welsh-Powell graph colouring algorithm -- and compare their performance using extensive simulations. Our results show that DSA algorithms that attempt to maximize the chances of obtaining a feasible frequency allocation -- which have been widely studied in the literature -- tend to under-perform in all other metrics.

Problem

• 6G Base Station
• Spectrum Allocation
• Dynamic Spectrum Access Algorithms

Innovation

• Dynamic Spectrum Access
• Welsh-Powell Coloring Algorithm
• 6G Network Optimization