Radio Access Network Sharing in 5G: Strategies and Benefits

Abstract

In a shared radio access network, a user can be served through the network of his home operator or the network of another service operator in the sharing system. Consequently, when the home operator is unable to serve its user, and there is more than one available service operator, a selection decision must be made. The decision must consider the satisfaction of three main agents: the user, his home operator and the service operator. In this paper, we adopt a strategic algorithm for the access selection decision in a multi-operator wireless network. It is based on a cost function that combines the requirements of the user, its home operator profit and the offered QoS of the service operator. This cost function takes into account the operators' strategies for cooperation. We focus on the service operator strategy and we propose two strategies: a pricing strategy that consists of increasing the service cost, and a sharing strategy that consists of limiting the amount of shared resources. Simulation results prove the efficiency of the proposed algorithm and show how sharing between operators brings benefits in terms of user acceptance and profits as well. In addition, results show that the service operator strategy affects the access selection decision and the cooperation benefits; a pricing strategy can guarantee high profits for the service operator and can improve its client acceptance.