Cognitive radio and cooperative strategies for power saving in multi-standard wireless devices

Energy is a critical resource in the design of wireless networks since wireless devices are usually powered by batteries. Without any new approaches for energy saving, 4G mobile users will relentlessly be searching for power outlets rather than network access, and becoming once again bound to a single location. To avoid the so called 4G “energy trap” and to help wireless devices become more environment friendly, there is a clear need for disruptive strategies to address all aspects of power efficiency from the user devices through to the core infrastructure of the network and how these devices and equipment interact with each other. The ICT-C2POWER project is the vehicle that will address these issues through cognitive techniques and cooperation. The C2POWER case study is to research, develop and demonstrate energy saving technologies for multi-standard wireless mobile devices, exploiting the combination of cognitive radio and cooperative strategies, while still enabling the required performance in terms of data rate and QoS to support active applications.