Does Cognitive Radio Need Policy Innovation?

Abstract

This contribution addresses the impact of cognitive radio on the regime of radio spectrum governance. To avoid harmful interference the current paradigm of spectrum governance uses the principle of separation. Thereby each application and user or user group is being assigned a specific part of the spectrum for a specific location. Cognitive radio defies this principle because cognitive radios monitor the spectrum and select an unused part for their transmission. This capability provides a new solution in addressing the issue of spectrum scarcity. However, its dynamic operating principle to access spectrum runs counter to the prevailing static spectrum management method. The focus of this contribution is on the implications of dynamic spectrum access for national and international spectrum policy in the light of the current practice of assignments based on (exclusive) usage rights and prescribed applications.

Wireless Broadband Access: Policy Implications of Heterogeneous Networks

“…A Cognitive Radio system identifies the existence of white spots, which are frequencies not used by primary users in a particular time and specific geographic location, and allocates them to secondary users (Anker, 2008;Haykin, 2005).…”

“…Three types of solutions exist to address this problem: a) a cooperative or collaborative detection, where terminals share information about the use of frequency bands in one area; b) the use of a database with information about the local use of a frequency band; and c) the use of a beacon with information about the use of a frequency band in an area. A Cognitive Pilot Channel (CPC) can be employed to help implement these solutions (Anker, 2008).…”

“…As is described by Anker (2008), international treaties do not forbid the use of Dynamic Spectrum Access in general or of Cognitive Radio specifically. Nevertheless, some barriers restrict the use of a dynamic form of spectrum access.…”

“…In the international arena, the ITU has already initiated activities related to the incorporation of Cognitive Radio and Software Defined Radio (Anker, 2008). Before the World Radiocommunications Conference of 2007 (WRC-07), the ITU-R submitted the question 241-1/5 cognitive radio systems in the mobile service.…”

“…William H. Chapin (2009, 2010) analyse the features of Hybrid Wireless Broadband Networks, which are heterogeneous networks, and the implications for regulatory policy. Other authors have addressed several issues that concern spectrum management for Cognitive Radio and Software Defined Radio (Anker, 2008(Anker, , 2010Veenstra & Leonhard, 2008).…”