Arturo Basaure

Spectrum and license flexibility for 5G networks

Spectrum sharing is a key solution facilitating availability of the necessary spectrum for 5G wireless networks. This article addresses the problem of flexible spectrum sharing by the application of adaptive licensing among interested stakeholders. In particular, it acts as a proponent of “pluralistic licensing” and verifies it in three simulation scenarios that are of strong interest from the perspective of 5G networks. The concluding analysis offers discussion of the potential benefits offered to spectrum holders and other interested players through the application of the pluralistic licensing concept.

Adoption of dynamic spectrum access technologies: a system dynamics approach

The introduction of dynamic spectrum access (DSA) technologies in mobile markets faces technical, economic and regulatory challenges. This paper defines industry openness and spectrum centralization as the two key factors that affect the adoption of DSA technologies. The adoption process is analyzed employing a comprehensive System Dynamics model that considers the network and substitution effects. Two possible scenarios, namely operator-centric and user-centric adoption of DSA technologies are explored in the model. The analysis indicates that operator-centric DSA technologies may be adopted in most countries where spectrum is centralized, while end-user centric DSA technologies may be adopted in countries with decentralized spectrum regime and in niche emerging services. The study highlights the role of standards-based design and concludes by citing case studies that show the practicality of this analysis and associated policy prescriptions.

Effects of capacity sharing on mobile access competition

The growth of mobile Internet usage is raising concerns about the sufficiency of capacity in networks. Therefore, several technical solutions are currently being developed and standardized to increase the efficiency in the radio access and on the entire end-to-end Internet path. If successfully deployed, these technologies will have a significant impact on the Internet connectivity market, especially the mobile access competition. The objective of this paper is to shed light on the different evolution paths of the mobile access market which developments in technical, economic and regulatory domains could induce in the future. This paper envisions operator and end-user centric competition scenarios and compares them against the current vertical competition between mobile network operators (MNOs). The analysis shows that the degree of competition in the mobile access in the future is highly dependent on the level of transaction and switching costs. The end user scenario with related multipath protocol deployments intensifies the competition more than the operator scenario enabled by software-based dynamic spectrum management.

Optimizing spectrum value through flexible spectrum licensing

Latest developments in radio access are radically changing the management of the spectrum for mobile services, progressing from exclusive licensing with static conditions towards more flexible licensing schemes, which allow a dynamic spectrum assignment. In this context, spectrum transactions between participating actors can generate mutual benefits. However, the fact that these transactions typically generate interference between users requires a clear definition of that interference and any associated benefit. This paper analyzes realistic cases of spectrum transactions between two operators, considering different service requirements and generated interference in the context of flexible spectrum licensing. The simulated transactions suggest that the optimal level of interference is usually above zero, and given a fixed spectrum bandwidth, an increase in demand results in additional gains in a scheme, which allows voluntary transactions with flexible interference respect to a scheme. This in turn restricts or minimizes interference. Finally, this paper provides guidelines for achieving the most beneficial type of spectrum transaction. The main contribution of this paper is to provide a concrete scheme in which interference is traded within a transaction to optimize the value of the spectrum.