Dynamic REM towards flexible spectrum management

Radio Environment Maps (REM) are lately emerging as a technical enabler and facilitator of dynamic spectrum access and cognitive radio scenarios. Their usage fosters many operational wireless network procedures such as spectrum access, spectrum sharing, resource usage optimization etc. Additionally, REMs are foreseen as a supplementary tool for regulation of spectrum usage. This paper covers both theoretical and practical aspects of efficient REM system design and REM construction in general. It showcases the synergy between spectrum sensing techniques and geolocation database approaches towards accurate and up-to-date radio field estimation. Furthermore, the paper provides details on recent research advances in the area of REM construction, Radio Interference Fields (RIF) derivation, source localization and propagation modelling. Finally, it analyzes several use-cases of practical implementation of REMs proving its capabilities to serve as an enabler for flexible spectrum management in future wireless networks.