Shared Spectrum Access Communications: A Neutral Host Micro Operator Approach

In this paper, we conceive an advanced small cells wireless network deployment framework within a managed space under shared spectrum access paradigm. We also conceive a complementary business model, referred to as neutral host micro operator (NH-μO), that leverages a single shared wireless infrastructure to mutually benefit μO (a third party service provider), the owner of the space/facility, and mobile network operators (MNOs). The model is composed of a μO slice, which delivers a venue with customized wireless services tailored to the its local service requirements, and an MNO slice, which facilitates improved wireless coverage to visitors/end-users with subscriptions to several different MNOs. The NH-μO is not biased to favor any specific client, which can be enforced through a concrete commercial agreement. A radio access network slicing concept is exploited to support and optimize both the slice instances (SIs) efficiently in a shared manner on a single physical network infrastructure. In addition, we devise an efficient architecture for the NH-μO small cell base station and dynamic spectrum assignment control unit, and their required functionalities supporting sustainable coexistence of different SIs in shared spectrum. We also devise both interSI and intra-SI dynamic spectrum allocation policies considering time-varying requirements of different SIs. These policies take care of application level priority by providing a proper mixture of users with guaranteed quality of service and best-effort users, while ensuring a healthy SI competition. The advantages of the proposed framework are twofold. It enables the venue owner to manage its wireless networks and consider its very specific requirements while capitalizing from the MNO slice. This, in turn, reduces the need for deployment of new infrastructure while providing improved wireless coverage and savings to MNOs. Finally, our proposed framework leverages efficient utilization of spectrum, physical infrastructure, and computational resources. The simulation results exhibit various important features of the proposed shared spectrum access policies.