Proximal spectrum access: A QoE-driven inter-operator spectrum sharing paradigm

Effective ways to address spectrum shortage by sharing cellular spectrum among the operators are constantly explored. Inter-Operator spectrum sharing, where operators dynamically share their licensed spectrum, when the network capacity requirement varies based on user access is an option to address this issue. The emerging licensed Co-Primary spectrum sharing, a commonly shared spectrum band used among a set of operators is an alternative option. Both these options require the supporting network infrastructure to adapt dynamically to the different bandwidth processing requirements, and this is a challenge. Adapting the proximity based access prevalent in the financial networks, which enhances customer´s Quality of Experience (QoE), this study explores the benefits of exploiting the proximal based access in cellular networks. Proximal Spectrum Access (PSA) enables a user to access the nearest base station irrespective of his/her service provider association, which enhances the user´s QoE and lessens the strain on network resources. With extensive simulations based on real life multiple operator deployment scenarios, this study validates the deployment benefits to operators as well as end user QoE enhancements.