1. ISBO NG WiNeTs
Next Generation
Wireless Networks and Terminals
NES & WATS IBCN PATS SMIT

2. Program
 14.00 - 14.10 Introduction & Context of the NG Wireless project
Wim De Waele , IBBT
 14.10 - 14.55 Overview of the NG Wireless project:
Ingrid Moerman, IBBT-IBCN-UGent
 14.55 - 15.10 Storyline introducing the demos
Peter De Cleyn, IBBT-PATS-UA
 15.10 - 15.55 Plenary demo presentations
 Monitoring interference with sensing technology focusing on low-power lost
cost sensing solutions for sensing terminals
 Avoiding interference with context-aware adaptive protocols
 Minimizing interference with cooperative networks
 15.55 - 16.10 Accounting interference: impact of interference on revenue
modeling – results
Vânia Gonçalves, IBBT-SMIT-VUB
 16.10 - ... Demo boots and networking drink
2

3. ISBO NG WiNeTs
Next Generation
Wireless Networks and Terminals
Ingrid Moerman
IBBT-IBCN, Ghent University
NES & WATS IBCN PATS SMIT

4. Outline
 Situating the project
 Objectives
 Research partners
 Milestones
 Demos
 Regulatory trends & business aspects
4

5. Outline
 Situating the project
 Wireless networks today
 Wireless networks tomorrow: cognitive radio
 Cognitive radio research
 Objectives
 Research partners
 Milestones
 Demos
 Regulatory trends & business aspects
5

6. Wireless networks today
 A multitude of wireless technologies & standards
 building on proprietary or standardized radio technologies
 Tuned for a specific application
 Many non-interoperable solutions
 different architectures
 different protocols
 Assumption of homogeneous nodes
 same protocol stack on all nodes within network
 No cooperation between networks
6

7. Internet evolution: multitude of networks
 4G communication networks
 Evolution towards a “network of networks”,
integrating different technologies
(WLAN, UMTS, Ad Hoc, cellular…)
 Characteristics
 IP-based
 Broadband
 Wireless access
 Support of mobility
 Heterogeneity
 …
7

8. Internet evolution: multitude of end devices (1)
 Personal devices
8

9. Internet evolution: multitude of end devices (2)
 Embedded devices
Artificiële retina
9 9

10. Internet evolution: a multitude of services
?
10

11. Internet evolution:
a multitude of co-located wireless devices
 Observation
 Growing importance of mobile & wireless networks
 Continuous evolution of wireless technologies
 Ever increasing number/density of wireless devices
 emergence of wireless sensor networks (‘Internet of things’)
 Increasing heterogeneity of the Internet
 Heterogeneous network technologies
 wired & wireless networks
 licensed & unlicensed technologies
 underutilization of licensed spectrum, scarce unlicensed spectrum
 Heterogeneous devices
 network interfaces, memory/processing capacity, power supply, fixed/mobile…
 Heterogeneous services
 Dynamics of mobile and wireless environment
 (un)controlled interference, fading, (dis)appearing of devices…
 Need for more advanced, more flexible communication paradigms
supporting coexistence of heterogeneous wireless technologies
 Cognitive Radio 11

12. Cognitive radio and 4A vision
 The 4A vision (ITU) = network ubiquity + connectivity to anything
 AnyTIME, AnyWHERE connectivity for Anyone for Anything
AnyTIME connection
For AnyONE
On the move
Night
Daytime
AnyWHERE connection
Between PCs
Human to Human (H2H), not using a PC
Human to Thing (H2T), using generic equipment
Thing to Thing (T2T)
AnyTHING connection
Source: ITU Internet Reports 2005: The Internet of Things 12

13. Cognitive radio and 4A vision
 enough spectrum, no matter when
AnyTIME connection (daytime, night, on the move…)
 enough spectrum, no matter where
AnyWHERE connection (home, office, indoor, outdoor, at events,
on the move…)
 enough spectrum, no matter who (young,
For AnyONE old, skilled, non-skilled…)
 enough spectrum, no matter which device
AnyTHING connection (from powerful PCs/laptops up to small
embedded devices with very limited
capabilities).
13

14. Cognitive radio = spectrum sharing
 Vertical spectrum sharing
 primary users have exclusive spectrum usage rights in a certain band
 secondary users either lease or just autonomously use the spectrum
without creating harmful interference to the primaries
 Horizontal spectrum sharing
 systems/users having equal spectrum usage rights
14

15. Cognitive radio = more flexibility (1)
 Radio flexibility (5-tier concept of SDR Forum)
 Hardware Radios
 no flexibility, fixed functionality
 Software Controlled Radios
 Fixed signal path
 SW interface allows to configure limited number of parameters
(current commercial radios)
 Software Defined Radios
 SW reconfigurable signal path (current SoA flexible radios)
 Ideal Software Radios
 more functionality of signal path in digital domain
 Ultimate Software Radios
 blue sky vision: full programmability with analog/digital conversion
at antenna
15

16. Cognitive radio = more flexibility (2)
 Spectrum access flexibility
 No flexibility or fixed access
 the frequency allocation scheme is fixed at a given time and location
by regulatory bodies
 Opportunistic spectrum access
 secondary users can actively search for unused spectrum in licensed
bands and communicate using these white holes. There is no
feedback between primary and secondary users.
 Dynamic spectrum access
 terminals and technologies can negotiate the use of wireless
spectrum locally for a certain time window at run-time. Dynamic
spectrum access requires cooperation and negotiation between
users.
16

17. Outline
 Wireless networks today
 Internet evolution
 Wireless networks tomorrow: cognitive radio
 Cognitive radio research
 Research areas
 Experimentally-driven research
 Belgian research efforts on cognitive radio
 Conclusions
17

18. Cognitive radio research areas (1)
 Sensing the wireless environment
 Identification of spectral opportunities
 Methods
 detection performed in time or frequency domain
 different level of knowledge (energy versus feature detection)
 different computational complexity and sensing accuracy
18

19. Cognitive radio research areas (2)
 (Re)configuration of wireless transmission parameters
 Level of collaboration
 Level of information sharing
 local versus distributed sensing
 Local versus global objective span
 local versus collective decisions
 cross-layer, cross-node, cross-network optimization
 cognitive networking
 Optimization objective
 minimal interference
 minimal energy consumption
 maximal QoS guarantees (e.g. maximal throughput)
 minimal EM pollution
 …
19

20. Cognitive radio research
 Experimentally-driven research: why?
 Dynamic nature of wireless environment
 uncontrolled interference
 complex wireless channels (mobility, fading…)
 (dis)appearing wireless devices
 Theoretical studies or network simulations are often unreliable
 they build on simplified and inaccurate channel models
 they do not take into account HW limitations
 Current experiments are limited
 experimental platforms and measurements today are mainly based on
1. laboratory equipment, such as vector spectrum analyzers, with high
sensitivity
2. very low-cost narrowband, limited sensitivity off-the-shelf components
 only small scale experiments
 sensing implementations focused on vertical spectrum sharing
(detection of TV signals)
20

21. Cognitive radio research
 Experimentally-driven research: how? (European vision)
 Deployment of large-scale open testbed facilities in realistic wireless
environments in view experimental exploration & validation of cognitive
radio and cognitive networking research
 Creation of flexible experimental platforms enabling various cognitive
radio usage scenarios
 horizontal and vertical spectrum sharing
 licensed and unlicensed bands
 heterogeneous wireless technologies
 Development of benchmarking methods
 enabling experiments under controlled and reproducible test conditions
 offering automated procedures for experiments and methodologies for performance
evaluation
 allowing a fair comparison between different cognitive radio & cognitive networking
concepts or between subsequent developments of diverse approaches
 Involvement of relevant stakeholders
 academia
 industry: equipment manufacturers, network operators, vendors…
 regulatory bodies
 standardization bodies 21

22. Outline
 Situating the project
 Objectives
 Research partners
 Milestones
 Demos
 Regulatory trends & business aspects
22

23. Objectives
 Overall research objective
 To develop solutions for flexible and efficient use of network/spectrum
resources through appropriate sensing and adaptive/intelligent radio/
network management.
 Focus areas
1. Cognitive control functionalities enabling cognitive/opportunistic use of
network/spectrum resources
2. Spectrum sensing functionality for better awareness of the
networking environment
3. E2E energy/power optimization of wireless network and terminal
aspects
4. Flexible and adaptive wireless node (software) architectures
enabling energy-efficient and reliable communication in dynamic,
heterogeneous and large-scale wireless environments
5. Market, standard and policy roadmaps and frameworks for Cognitive
Radio and Opportunistic Radio
23

24. Focus areas
 Cognitive control
 Cognitive Radio Connectivity-centric Approach
 seamless connectivity across heterogeneous wireless networks
(intelligent handover, learning capabilities)
 Cognitive Radio Spectrum-centric Approach
 Horizontal spectrum sharing
 Coexistence of heterogeneous devices in ISM band (IEEE802.11,
IEEE802.15.1, IEEE802.15.4)
 Study impact of interference
 Interference avoidance techniques
 Dynamic spectrum sharing
 Vertical spectrum sharing
 Opportunistic spectrum sharing (frequency & time)
 Coexistence of primary and secondary users
 Spectrum sensing functionality
 Fast, cost-effective and energy-efficient sensing engine
24

25. Focus areas
 End to End Energy Efficiency of Wireless
Networks
 Holistic power optimization approach
 Radio devices:
 innovative implementations of terminals and base stations
 power control strategies
 Radio transmission (PHY/MAC)
 energy-efficient modulation and coding schemes
 energy-aware radio link control and scheduling strategies
 multi-mode operation and interoperability of coexisting modes
 Network architecture
 Flexible modular node architecture
 avoiding duplicate functionality through a finer granularity of modules
 multimode management
 information-driven approach (based on information exchanges)
 intelligent aggregation of data/control message
 HW/SW interaction between HW and SW modules (advanced HAL)
25

26. Focus areas
 Advanced cooperation
 Advanced sharing of
 Information
 spectrum (distributed sensing)
 network capabilities (distributed network discovery)
 Resources
 routing capacity
 processing capacity
 Services
 Cross-layer/cross-node/cross-network cooperation
 Collective decisions
 Global optimization
 minimizing interference
 minimizing energy consumption
 maximizing QoS (throughput, delay, reliability)
26

27. Focus areas
 Market, standard and policy roadmaps
 Study transitions in the wireless ecosystem provoked
by introduction of cognitive & opportunistic components
 exploring future business, policy and standardization
frameworks in close collaboration with technical developments
 Study of changes in interactions between present and new
stakeholders
27

28. Outline
 Situating the project
 Objectives
 Research partners
 Milestones
 Demos
 Regulatory trends & business aspects
28

29. Research partners
 IMEC/NES
 system architecture exploration and definition (wireless link
aspects)
 Cognitive Radio Control (MAC) and Sensing solutions
 Radio resource management in complex environments
 Algorithm development of SoA schemes
 Intra-standard (WLAN, WIMAX, 3GPP-LTE, ...) cross-layer controller
 Cross-layer energy-aware optimizations
 IMEC/WATS
 radio coexistence (WBAN-WLAN)
 UWB positioning and localization
29

30. Research partners
 IBCN
 Heterogeneous wireless scenarios in ISM band
 Development of adaptive and flexible modular node
architecture incorporating advanced hardware abstraction
layer (HAL) supporting spectrum awareness
 Strategies for advanced information sharing and
collaboration (cognitive networking)
 Interference avoidance strategies
 Dynamic spectrum access
30

31. Research partners
 PATS
 Seamless handover mechanisms based on sensing
 Channel allocation algorithms in a heterogeneous
environment
 Cooperation on MAC and Network layer in
heterogeneous environments
 Resource sharing in MAC and Network layer in
heterogeneous environments
31

32. Research partners
 SMIT
 Exploration and evaluation of new cognitive and
opportunistic radio frameworks in business, policy and
standardization, devoting attention to potential
intermediaries and cognitive enablers, in specific:
 Intra and inter-firm incentives and bottlenecks for cooperation
 Costs of sensing technology
 Impact on spectrum use
 Analysis of the potential impact of sensing technology and
interference on the cost and revenue models through
specific application scenarios
32

33. Outline
 Situating the project
 Objectives
 Research partners
 Milestones
 Demos
 Regulatory trends & business aspects
33

34. Research phases
 Step 1: Distributed Coexistence of Heterogeneous
Networks (2009)
 Heterogeneous networks awareness through spectrum sensing
 Adaptation to minimize harmful interference based on sensing
 Step 2: Cooperative coexistence of heterogeneous
Networks (2010)
 Communication with heterogeneous networks through SDR
 Adaptation to minimize interference based on agreements
 Step 3: Collaborative heterogeneous Networks (2011)
 Awareness through spectrum sensing
 Optimal collaboration to improve user QoS given the spectral (and
energy) resource constraints.
34

35. (Demo) milestones
 2009: Distributed Coexistence of Heterogeneous
Networks
 Reference scenario: heterogeneous wireless coexistence in ISM band
 Spectrum awareness: sensing functionality
 sensing multiple channels and multiple communication technologies in the
ISM band
 Adaptive modular protocols
 distributed interference avoidance algorithm
 distributed channel allocation
 global routing
 optimization of QoS (throughput, reliability)
 Integration
 Development of HAL incorporating spectrum awareness components
 Business Aspects:
 Impact of interference (i.e., application QoS degradation) on revenue.
Revenue enhancements from improved coexistence.
35

36. IBBT-IMEC experimental facilities
 Heterogeneous ISM test environment @ IBBT
 Technologies
 commercial radios:
 IEEE 802.11 (400)
 IEEE 802.15.4 (> 200)
 802.15.1 (200)
 open USRP software radios (10)
 IMEC sensing platform (10)
 Spectral range: from 1 MHz to 6 GHz
 Bandwidth: 1 MHz to 40 MHz
 Benchmarking framework
 automated experimentation, performances analysis and
comparison of cognitive radio & cognitive networking solutions
36

37. Outline
 Situating the project
 Objectives
 Research partners
 Milestones
 Demos
 Sensing interference
 Avoiding interference
 Minimizing interference
 Regulatory trends & business aspects
37

38. Sensing interference
 Prototype: 500 MHz to 2.5 GHz
Prototype demonstrating sensing
capabilities of IMEC Scaldio2B
RFIC
500 MHz 2.5 GHz
• 40 nm RFIC
• On chip ADC
• 100 MHz -> 6 GHz
38
© imec/restricted 2010

39. Avoiding interference
Building floor during nighttime Building floor during daytime
39

40. Avoiding interference
 Multichannel solution
Multi-channel Single channel
40

41. Minimizing interference
 2 WSNs in each others range
 Suboptimal routing
 Suboptimal use of spectrum
 Route optimization by
 Resource sharing
 Back end routing
will lead to higher spectrum efficiency
 Demo
 TinySPOTComm
 Communication between 2 different sensor nodes, using identical radios
 Global routing
 1 routing protocol across sensors and back-end network providing overall
connectivity
SunSPOT
TMote
41

42. Outline
 Situating the project
 Objectives
 Research partners
 Milestones
 Demos
 Regulatory trends & business aspects
42

43. Wireless Networks towards more Flexible
Spectrum Management?
 Current regulatory system of exclusive, long-term
spectrum licensing: inefficiency and high entry barriers
 Spectrum underused
 Innovation stifled
 Customers locked-in
 Trend towards technological neutrality & spectrum sharing
 Increasing heterogeneity of access technologies (despite LTE)
 Huge demand for additional capacity
 Digital dividend incites debate on spectrum refarming and sharing
 Towards more flexible forms of spectrum management
 Dynamic Spectrum Allocation
 Spectrum pooling
 Secondary markets and change of use
43

44. Cognitive Radio: Technologies to cope with
Flexible Spectrum Management
 Cognitive Radio
 New paradigm for mobile and wireless
 Intelligence and autonomy of networks and handsets
 Actively monitor context and change behaviour
 In context of Flexible Spectrum Management
 Spectrum sensing
 Spectrum sharing
 Dynamic spectrum allocation
 May have repercussions on
 Spectrum use
 Spectrum cost
 User experience
 Industry architecture
44

45. Regulatory Trends – WAPECS
 WAPECS - Wireless Access Policy for Electronic
Communications (WAPECS)
 A framework for the provision of electronic communications
services within a set of frequency bands to be identified and
agreed between European Union Member States in which a range
of electronic communications networks and electronic
communications services may be offered on a technology and
service neutral basis, provided that certain technical
requirements to avoid interference are met, to ensure the
effective and efficient use of the spectrum, and the
authorisation conditions do not distort competition.
45

46. Regulatory Trends – WAPECS
46

47. Regulatory Trends – Digital Dividend
 Harmonised conditions for the sub-band
790-862 MHz optimised for, but not limited to,
fixed/mobile communications networks
 Principle: least restrictive technical conditions
 Avoid interference
 Facilitate cross-border coordination
47

48. Regulatory Trends – Collective Use of Spectrum
 CUS allows an undetermined number of
independent users and/or devices to access
spectrum
 in the same range of frequencies
 at the same time
 in a particular geographic area
 under a well-defined set of conditions
48

49. Regulatory Trends – Collective Use of Spectrum
49

50. Potential Business Impact
 CAPEX and OPEX reduction for Network Operators/
Spectrum Holders
 Reduce costs in spectrum
 Sub-lease excess capacity in licensed band
 Efficient use of spectrum
 Diversification of NO’s service portfolio
 Better performance and user experience
 Increased QoS
 Interoperability between services and networks
 Cross-country operation: roaming
 Increase of service value
50