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In this paper, we consider a setting in which geographically constrained “local” wireless services operate in a shared spectrum band and compete in the same market for customers who fall within their local coverage areas. When their desired coverage areas overlap, there are multiple ways that spectrum usage could be coordinated. We discuss ways in which this coordination could arise. We then characterize the market impacts of different forms of coordination via a framework of Cournot competition with congestion. Our analysis illustrates the economic trade-offs of different coordination mechanisms for local services. 

Future G networks will require more dynamic, agile support for the management of radio spectrum on a fine-grained basis. The radio access network (RAN) technologies necessary to enable Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) have progressed significantly over the past 20 years, but the challenges of realizing the potential for DSA requires the co-evolution of technologies, business models, and regulatory policy. This paper presents a multidisciplinary research effort to develop the building blocks needed to advance DSA. In particular, we focus on the use of standards-based Spectrum Consumption Models (SCMs) and review on-going research to incorporate SCMs in an automated management framework based on incentive-compatible, technically-sound spectrum access contracts referred to as Spectrum Access Agreements (SAAs). This paper introduces the core concepts of the SCM/SAA framework, project goals, and preliminary insights into how the framework can help improve spectrum management. The research on SCM/SAA represents a bottom-up effort to develop the techno-economic building blocks or tools to facilitate marketbased experimentation and development of DSA based spectrum sharing markets, business models, and applications. 

Future G networks will require more dynamic, agile support for the management of radio frequency spectrum on a fine-grained basis. The radio access network (RAN) technologies necessary to enable Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) have progressed significantly over the past 20 years, but the challenges of realizing the potential for DSA requires the co-evolution of the technologies, business models/market structures, and regulatory policy for wireless networks. This paper discusses a bottom-up, multi-disciplinary approach to DSA. In particular, we focus on the use of standards-based Spectrum Consumption Models (SCMs), and review on-going research to incorporate SCMs in an automated management framework based on incentive-compatible, technically-sound spectrum access contracts, or Spectrum Access Agreements (SAAs). This work is being undertaken as part of the NSF National Radio Dynamic Zone (NRDZ) research initiative and this paper provides an introduction to the core concepts of the SCM/SAA framework, project goals, and preliminary insights into how the SCM/SAA can help improve spectrum management and advance R&D efforts to enable the transition to a shared spectrum future. The SCM/SAA research represents a bottom-up effort to develop the techno-economic tools to facilitate market-based experimentation and development of spectrum sharing markets, business models, and applications to complement and render more economically viable and relevant emerging DSA technologies and top-down regulatory reforms aimed at lowering spectrum sharing barriers. 

Security is a critical concern in shared spectrum environments. In additional to degrading service, attacks can influence the market interactions between competing service providers (SPs). This paper investigates these interactions by considering two SPs engaged in Cournot competition while utilizing both proprietary and shared spectrum, with shared spectrum available in either licensed or open-access forms. Additionally, we assume the presence of an attacker whose objective is to deny service to one or more of the shared bands for a fraction of the time, consequently reducing the overall total revenue. We analyze the optimal forms of attacks under different attacker objectives and their repercussions on the resulting market equilibrium. Utilizing these analyses, we compare the impacts of various spectrum sharing approaches (licensed and open access) and differing amounts of spectrum holdings of the two providers.