Dynamic spectrum access as an alternative radio spectrum regulation system

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 20th century when the possibility of wireless communication via radio waves was first demonstrated, radio spectrum usage has been centrally regulated on a fixed allocation policy. However, over the last decade, as the usage of and demand for radio spectrum has dramatically increased, the disadvantages of fixed allocation policy have become increasingly apparent. As an alternative, various flexible radio spectrum allocation policies have been proposed. In an attempt to contribute to the possibility of adopting dynamic spectrum access as an alternative radio spectrum regulation system, this paper presents on-going research on the sensing and detection of licensed user signals. The paper proposes the adoption of dynamic spectrum access based on cognitive radio technology as an alternative spectrum regulation scheme. It is envisioned that such a scheme will reduce the problems underlying the current spectrum allocation policy without compromising the performance of existing radio systems.