A bandwidth allocation mechanism for 4G

The current trend in wireless systems is evolving towards Fourth Generation (4G). 4G prescribes that users can enjoy mobility, seamless access and high quality of service in an all-IP network on an ldquoAnytime, Anywhererdquo basis. The 4G network access comprises of multiple heterogeneous geographically coexisting wireless networks. In this paper we propose a mechanism for the allocation of the downlink bandwidth of such an ldquointegratedrdquo network. In particular, we propose an incentive-compatible, efficient, auction-based mechanism of low computational complexity. Subsequently, we extend this mechanism so that it can also accommodate multicast sessions, while retaining its nice properties regarding incentives and computational complexity. We also define a repeated game to highlight interesting issues that arise regarding the value of the users utilities and user incentives in such a setting. We then transform this mechanism to a cooperative bandwidth allocation mechanism capable of prioritizing certain classes of services and emulating DiffServ and time-of-day pricing schemes. Finally, we assess the proposed mechanism and provide some concluding remarks and topics of future work.