On utilizing the available bandwidth in heterogeneous spectrum ad hoc networks

Due to the dynamic spectrum policies, the spectrum in wide area ad hoc networks embodies a heterogeneous property. How to utilize the different sets of available channels in the heterogeneous spectrum ad hoc networks poses a big challenge to the MAC design. Though previous multi-channel MAC protocols are already available, most of them are based on the assumption of same set of channels, which is broken in heterogeneous spectrum ad hoc networks. Applying these schemes might cause the loss of the connectivity and the inefficiency of spectrum usage. This paper proposes a new MAC scheme, Heterogeneous Multi-Channel MAC (HMC), which can utilize different sets of channels and at the same time maintain the efficiency and connectivity. Simulations show the advantages of this scheme.