A Frequency Planning Model for Spatial White Space in GSM Cellular Network
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Date
2015
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Publisher
African Journal of Computing and ICT
Abstract
This work proposes a new approach to better utilization of the radio spectrum in the GSM 900 and 1800 Band, taking advantage of the cellular concept of the GSM radio and the cognitive driven dynamic spectrum access of the next generation wireless technology. The unused channels of a system, within the coverage area, of a particular cell, were identified as spectrum holes, and otherwise referred to as channel holes, in this paper. A model for this system-created, GSM spatial whitespace was formulated. Using the coverage radius of a cell, antenna directivity and other engineering parameters together with frequency planning map of a GSM operator in Ilorin, the capital city of Kwara state in Nigeria, a computation of potential available bandwidth within the coverage area of some GSM cells was done to demonstrate the model. The quantity of white space that can
be recovered per cell, shows that there exists higher potential for secondary cognitive usage of the GSM 900 and 1800 band than claimed in reports of several, previous spectrum occupancy measurements. A comparison of the utilization level by this approach with some other works revealed a considerable increase in recoverable spectrum holes in the two GSM bands combined.
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Keywords
Frequency planning, Spatial White Space, Spectrum utilization, opportunistic secondary access, channel holes