Potential viability of third party mobile service platforms for spectrum sensing

The need for more efficient spectrum management is rapidly growing. Cognitive radio could fulfill this need, stating that radios will have the ability to intelligently adapt to other radios using the spectrum. Crucial in the process of intelligently adapting is having the right information about the environment. Spectrum sensing is one way to obtain this required spectrum occupancy information. It is a relatively innovative thought to consider spectrum sensing as a service offered by third party platforms. Besides standard ways of spectrum sensing (through terminals and base stations), this paper will try and identify such platforms. To do so, this paper puts forward two variables: vertical integration and distribution of decision-making. These parameters lead to four distinct business model configurations, based on unique variations in control over essential spectrum sensing roles. This paper identifies the theoretically possible business model configurations in each sensing scenario, while putting emphasis on the ones with the best potential viability.