Predicting dynamic spectrum allocation: a review covering simulation, modelling, and prediction

Abstract

The advent of the Internet of Things and 5G has further accelerated the growth in devices attempting to gain access to the wireless spectrum. A consequence of this has been the commensurate growth in spectrum conflict and congestion across the wireless spectrum, which has begun to impose a significant impost upon innovation in both the public and private sectors. One potential avenue for resolving these issues, and improving the efficiency of spectrum utilisation can be found in devices making intelligent decisions about their access to spectrum through Dynamic Spectrum Allocation. Changing to a system of Dynamic Spectrum Allocation would require the development of complex and sophisticated inference frameworks, that would be able to be deployed at a scale able to support significant numbers of devices. The development and deployment of these systems cannot exist in isolation, but rather would require the development of tools that can simulate, measure, and predict Spectral Occupancy. To support the development such tools, this work reviews not just the available prediction frameworks for networked systems with sparse sensing over large scale geospatial environments, but also holistically considers the myriad of technological approaches required to support Dynamic Spectrum Allocation.