Collaborative Research: A Novel Architecture for Secure and Adaptive Spectrum Management Enabling Registration-Free Federal Users

Abstract: Wireless spectrum is the single most important resource in wireless communication. With the opening up of new spectrum bands and the explosion of new wireless applications, the federal incumbent users, such as navy radars and satellite ground stations, need to share previously exclusively used spectrum bands with commercial users for economic and societal benefits. This represents a more dynamic spectrum utilization scenario and also poses security and efficiency challenges for the federal incumbent users. This project is aimed to develop a new spectrum management architecture that enables federal users to securely access spectrum bands while maximally preserving their existing model of operation. The architecture critically supports the NSF’s vision of “spectrum bux” for market-driven spectrum access management while being designed to protect federal users’ privacy from third-party band managers and the commercial users.