A Distributed Framework with a Novel Pricing Model for Enabling Dynamic Spectrum Access for Secondary Users

Wireless Service Providers (WSPs) aim to maximize the revenue from their investment in spectrum lease and infrastructure. In this paper, we present a simple model for enabling temporary wireless access for Secondary (unsubscribed) Users (SUs) along with Primary (subscribed) Users (PUs) to the same Base Station (BS), allowing SU access provided there is unutilized spectrum available at the BS after all the PUs have been served. We develop a distributed framework focusing on the efficient utilization of the spectrum leased by a WSP, in contrast to the centralized approach based on spectrum/spectrum information pooling prominent in literature. This paper includes a detailed signaling framework along with a novel Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) based mechanism for distinguishing PUs from SUs at the BS. A novel incentive based pricing model for SUs with an inherent property of resource management at the BS is proposed along with a criterion for autonomous network selection at the SU terminal and a SU terminal initiated price based handoff scheme. The distributed approach proposed in this paper, provides a framework for a single WSP to maximize its profits by allowing SU access, without the need for coordination with other WSPs through a centralized mediating entity.