Home // International Journal On Advances in Telecommunications, volume 3, numbers 3 and 4, 2010 // View article

Evaluation of Spectrum Occupancy in an Urban Environment in a Cognitive Radio Context

Authors:
Alexandru Martian
Calin Vladeanu
Ioana Marcu
Ion Marghescu

Keywords: spectrum occupancy; spectrum sensing; cognitive radio; measurement campaign.

Abstract:
Lack of frequency spectrum is becoming one of the major problems in the telecommunication field with the introduction of several new radio communication technologies. Cognitive Radio (CR) technology promises to be one possible solution to this problem, by allowing access of unlicensed users in licensed bands, based on an opportunistic approach and without interfering with the licensed (primary) user. In order to identify which frequency bands are more suitable for such purposes, it is necessary to evaluate the degree in which licensed bands are actually used. Although some measurement campaigns have already been carried out, most of them were done in the USA and only a few in other locations worldwide. This paper presents results of a measurement campaign conducted in Bucharest, Romania, covering the frequency range from 25 MHz up to 3.4 GHz. An overview of the various spectrum sensing methods available for evaluating the spectral occupancy is presented. The measurement results are confronted with the frequency allocation table published by the national authority for communications and an analysis of the obtained data is being made.

Pages: 59 to 68

Copyright: Copyright (c) to authors, 2010. Used with permission.

Publication date: April 6, 2011

Published in: journal

ISSN: 1942-2601