Grant: Strategic Projects - Group

Wireless mesh networks have emerged as a new technology that has a significant potential to provide low cost means for flexible and fast deployment of Internet based services in diverse environments. At the same time the concept of cognitive radios brings a promise of increased bandwidth availability at a minimum cost. The purposes of these two technologies fit each other in a very complementary way and this research proposal focuses on the design of next generation cognitive wireless meshed networks that can support multimedia and emergency services. We will develop architectures that can offer such services with the required QoS and service continuity protection. A close interaction between all system layers will provide information for fast adaptation to changing environments. To monitor these changes in traffic distribution and spectrum environments, a monitoring scheme covering different time scales will be investigated. To make the best use of available spectrum, we will define cognitive radio architectures that can provide features required by the proposed service and resource management models. These features will be used by adaptive MAC and routing mechanisms to provide the QoS and service continuity protection required by the considered applications. We will propose a framework for resource management that provides balanced collaboration across all system layers by means of well defined cross layer interfaces. The key element of this approach will be a novel economic framework that takes into account network revenues as well as both static and dynamic costs across different layers and time scales. This approach will provide coherent integration of network operator's cost concerns and users' quality objectives. Bell Canada's involvement in the project will help steer the research direction and emphasize practical considerations as well as facilitate knowledge transfer to industry.