Blockchain and SDN Architecture for Spectrum Management in Cellular Networks

Asuquo A Okon,Jaafar M H Elmirghani,Kumudu Munasinghe,Abbas Jamalipour,Olusegun S Sholiyi,Ibrahim Elgendi

doi:10.1109/access.2020.2995188

Abstract

Whereas 4G LTE networks have brought about an increase in data rates of mobile networks, they are unable to meet the capacity demands of future networks. Specifically, the centralized nature of the evolved packet core (EPC) makes the network non-scalable to match the exponential increase in number of wireless devices in addition to the complexities of diverse service requirements. The SDN concept has recently attracted a lot of research interest as a viable proposition for bringing about programmability and ease of network management while also offering flexibility for innovative network designs. However, current SDN implementations are not adapted to support business agreements that foster interoperability among mobile network operators (MNOs). This paper is an extended version of our earlier work and we intend to present a unified SDN and blockchain architecture with enhanced spectrum management features for enabling seamless user roaming capabilities between MNOs. Our simulation results show that users can experience no disruption in service with very minimal delay as they traverse between operators.

Highlights

The upsurge and exponential growth in the number of wireless devices owing to ubiquitous smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices has led to an unprecedented increase in mobile traffic with projected annual mobile traffic expected to hit 291.8 exabytes by 2019 [1]
At the beginning of the simulation, the user equipment (UE) is connected to home eNBs (HeNBs) 1 since it has the highest reference signal received power (RSRP)
As the UE moves from the edge of HeNB 1 along the positive x-axis (UE, 0, 0), the RSRP values increase and reaches its peak when the UE is at the centre of the HeNB 1

Summary

Introduction

The upsurge and exponential growth in the number of wireless devices owing to ubiquitous smartphones, tablets and other wireless devices has led to an unprecedented increase in mobile traffic with projected annual mobile traffic expected to hit 291.8 exabytes by 2019 [1]. While this trend is expected to increase year on year, studies have shown that about 80% – 90% of this traffic will be generated indoors [2]. While the densification of base stations seeks to address the spectrum scarcity problem and bring about higher system capacity, it invariably has its attendant challenges

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Conclusion