60 GHz MAC Standardization: Progress and Way Forward

Communication at mmWave frequencies has been the focus in the recent years. In this paper, we discuss standardization efforts in 60 GHz short range communication and the progress therein. We compare the available standards in terms of network architecture, medium access control mechanisms, physical layer techniques and several other features. Comparative analysis indicates that IEEE 802.11ad is likely to lead the short-range indoor communication at 60 GHz. We bring to the fore resolved and unresolved issues pertaining to robust WLAN connectivity at 60 GHz. Further, we discuss the role of mmWave bands in 5G communication scenarios and highlight the further efforts required in terms of research and standardization

Survey of Spectrum Sharing for Inter-Technology Coexistence

Increasing capacity demands in emerging wireless technologies are expected to be met by network densification and spectrum bands open to multiple technologies. These will, in turn, increase the level of interference and also result in more complex inter-technology interactions, which will need to be managed through spectrum sharing mechanisms. Consequently, novel spectrum sharing mechanisms should be designed to allow spectrum access for multiple technologies, while efficiently utilizing the spectrum resources overall. Importantly, it is not trivial to design such efficient mechanisms, not only due to technical aspects, but also due to regulatory and business model constraints. In this survey we address spectrum sharing mechanisms for wireless inter-technology coexistence by means of a technology circle that incorporates in a unified, system-level view the technical and non-technical aspects. We thus systematically explore the spectrum sharing design space consisting of parameters at different layers. Using this framework, we present a literature review on inter-technology coexistence with a focus on wireless technologies with equal spectrum access rights, i.e. (i) primary/primary, (ii) secondary/secondary, and (iii) technologies operating in a spectrum commons. Moreover, we reflect on our literature review to identify possible spectrum sharing design solutions and performance evaluation approaches useful for future coexistence cases. Finally, we discuss spectrum sharing design challenges and suggest future research directions

Scalability study of backhaul capacity sensitive network selection scheme in LTE-wifi HetNet

Wireless Heterogeneous Network (HetNet) with small cells presents a new backhauling challenge which differs from those of experienced by conventional macro-cells. In practice, the choice of backhaul technology for these small cells whether fiber, xDSL, point–to-point and point-to-multipoint wireless, or multi-hop/mesh networks, is often governed by availability and cost, and not by required capacity. Therefore, the resulting backhaul capacity of the small cells in HetNet is likely to be non-uniform due to the mixture of backhaul technologies adopted. In such an environment, a question then arises whether a network selection strategy that considers the small cells’ backhaul capacity will improve the end users’ usage experience. In this paper, a novel Dynamic Backhaul Capacity Sensitive (DyBaCS) network selection schemes (NSS) is proposed and compared with two commonly used network NSSs, namely WiFi First (WF) and Physical Data Rate (PDR) in an LTE-WiFi HetNet environment. The proposed scheme is evaluated in terms of average connection or user throughput1and fairness among users. The effects of varying WiFi backhaul capacity (uniform and non-uniform distribution), WiFi-LTE coverage ratio, user density and WiFi access points (APs) density within the HetNet form the focus of this paper. Results show that the DyBaCS scheme generally provides superior fairness and user throughput performance across the range of backhaul capacity considered. Besides, DyBaCS is able to scale much better than WF and PDR across different user and WiFi densities

Future Trends and Challenges for Mobile and Convergent Networks

Some traffic characteristics like real-time, location-based, and community-inspired, as well as the exponential increase on the data traffic in mobile networks, are challenging the academia and standardization communities to manage these networks in completely novel and intelligent ways, otherwise, current network infrastructures can not offer a connection service with an acceptable quality for both emergent traffic demand and application requisites. In this way, a very relevant research problem that needs to be addressed is how a heterogeneous wireless access infrastructure should be controlled to offer a network access with a proper level of quality for diverse flows ending at multi-mode devices in mobile scenarios. The current chapter reviews recent research and standardization work developed under the most used wireless access technologies and mobile access proposals. It comprehensively outlines the impact on the deployment of those technologies in future networking environments, not only on the network performance but also in how the most important requirements of several relevant players, such as, content providers, network operators, and users/terminals can be addressed. Finally, the chapter concludes referring the most notable aspects in how the environment of future networks are expected to evolve like technology convergence, service convergence, terminal convergence, market convergence, environmental awareness, energy-efficiency, self-organized and intelligent infrastructure, as well as the most important functional requisites to be addressed through that infrastructure such as flow mobility, data offloading, load balancing and vertical multihoming.Comment: In book 4G & Beyond: The Convergence of Networks, Devices and Services, Nova Science Publishers, 201

EMICOM: Enhanced Media Independent COnnection Manager

With the increasing amount of mobile interfaces combining different kinds of access technologies, ranging from Wi-Fi to 3G and LTE, the integration of flexible and mediaindependent link control mechanisms becomes of paramount importance. By employing an abstract way of obtaining access link status information and exercising control over the network interface operations, these control mechanisms become able to optimize device connectivity and network attachment. This paper presents EMICOM, an Enhanced Media Independent COnnection Manager framework where a GNU/Linux Network Manager and Link Service Access Points for the IEEE 802.3 and 802.11 technologies were implemented and integrated through crosslayer Media Independent Handover (MIH) mechanisms from the IEEE 802.21 standard. Through an open-source implementation of the framework, the (MIH) command set capabilities are extended, allowing the support of network association and authentication, as well as Layer 3 services such as IP configuration, providing a generic solution for optimal network connectivity management