Commoditization and virtualization of wireless networks are changing the economics of mobile networks to help network providers (e.g., MNO, MVNO) move from proprietary and bespoke hardware and software platforms toward an open, cost-effective, and flexible cellular ecosystem. In addition, rich and innovative local services can be efficiently created through cloudification by leveraging the existing infrastructure. In this work, we present RANaaS, which is a cloudified radio access network delivered as a service. RANaaS provides the service life-cycle of an on-demand, elastic, and pay as you go 3GPP RAN instantiated on top of the cloud infrastructure. We demonstrate an example of real-time cloudified LTE network deployment using the OpenAirInterface LTE implementation and OpenStack running on commodity hardware as well as the flexibility and performance of the platform developed.

Abstract-TV White Spaces technology is a means of allowing wireless devices to opportunistically use locally-available TV channels (TV White Spaces), enabled by a geolocation database. The geolocation database informs the device of which channels can be used at a given location, and in the UK/EU case, which transmission powers (EIRPs) can be used on each channel based on the technical characteristics of the device, given an assumed interference limit and protection margin at the edge of the primary service coverage area(s). The UK regulator, Ofcom, has initiated a large-scale Pilot of TV White Spaces technology and devices. The ICT-ACROPOLIS Network of Excellence, teaming up with the ICT-SOLDER project and others, is running an extensive series of trials under this effort. The purpose of these trials is to test a number of aspects of white space technology, including the white space device and geolocation database interactions, the validity of the channel availability/powers calculations by the database and associated interference effects on primary services, and the performances of the white spaces devices, among others. An additional key purpose is to undertake a number of research investigations such as into aggregation of TV White Space resources with conventional (licensed/unlicensed) resources, secondary coexistence issues and means to mitigate such issues, and primary coexistence issues under challenging deployment geometries, among others. This paper describes our trials, their intentions and characteristics, objectives, and some early observations.

Cognitive radio devices will be able to seek and dynamically use frequency bands for network access. This will be done by autonomous detection of vacant sub-bands in the radio spectrum. In this paper 1 , we propose a new method for blind detection of vacant sub-bands over the spectrum band. The proposed method exploits model selection tools like Akaike information criterion (AIC) and Akaike weights to sense holes in the spectrum band. Specifically, we assume that the noise of the radio spectrum band can still be adequately modeled using Gaussian distribution. We then compute and analyze Akaike weights in order to decide if the distribution of the received signal fits the noise distribution or not. Our theoretical result are validated using experimental measurements captured by Eurécom RF Agile Platform. Simulations show promising performance results of the proposed technique in terms of sensing vacant sub-bands in the spectrum.

We describe a channel sounding measurement campaign for cellular broadband wireless communications with high speed trains that was carried out in the context of the project CORRIDOR. The campaign combines MIMO and carrier aggregation to achieve very high throughputs. We compare two different scenarios, the first one reflects a cellular deployment, where the base station is about 1km away from the railway line. The second scenario corresponds to a railway deployed network, where the base station is located directly next the the railway line. We present the general parameters of the measurement campaign and some preliminary results of Power Delay Profiles and Doppler Spectra and their evolution over time.

Abstract-TV White Spaces (TVWS) technology allows wireless devices to opportunistically use locally-available TV channels enabled by a geolocation database. The UK regulator Ofcom has initiated a pilot of TVWS technology in the UK. This paper concerns a large-scale series of trials under that pilot. The purposes are to test aspects of white space technology, including the white space device and geolocation database interactions, the validity of the channel availability/powers calculations by the database and associated interference effects on primary services, and the performances of the white space devices, among others. An additional key purpose is to perform research investigations such as on aggregation of TVWS resources with conventional resources and also aggregation solely within TVWS, secondary coexistence issues and means to mitigate such issues, and primary coexistence issues under challenging deployment geometries, among others. This paper provides an update on the trials, giving an overview of their objectives and characteristics, some aspects that have been covered, and some early results and observations.