Spectrum Sensing and Sharing for Internet of Things

Abstract

The limited availability of spectrum and the reduced use of allotted spectral resources by the licensed users (primary users) have led to the development of technology termed as cognitive radio, which aims to provide unlicensed users with a wider range of spectral awareness through the use of a variety of spectrum sensing and sharing options. Cognitive radio technology can help the unlicensed users to discover and make use of the available spectrum through the process of spectrum sensing, thereby improving spectrum utilization and reducing spectrum scarcity across wireless networks. One of the primary growth determinants for utilizing the large number of internet of things (IoT) networks and quality mobile broadband services is the availability of enough spectrum resources, but in practice, spectrum is usually scarce, due to the adoption of static spectrum allocation policy. Cognitive radio technology can enable efficient and strategic frequency band usage by utilizing available licensed channels, creating a vast spectrum that can support widespread adoption for IoT networks.