Towards Efficient Spectrum Sharing

One hundred years of spectrum sharing based on fixed frequency allocations have led to fracturing and poor utilization. Present methods of frequency allocation combined with a reliance on fixed infrastructure threaten to halt this growth. An additional consequence is the deployment of fundamentally less robust systems, prone to disruption in major disasters or overload. This paper outlines a vision of a system that, by enabling the secondary use of spectrum on an opportunistic basis and by establishing collaboration between the users, would enable a realization of ubiquitous, robust and agile wireless systems that are able to support further traffic growth and changing demands in traffic.