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Public protection and disaster relief (PPDR) agencies rely on wireless communications to respond in the event of emergencies. Public safety networks (PSNs) provide the wireless network used by emergency services. PSN is used to support push-to-talk services with some data transmission by employing land mobile radios. However, PPDR agencies are increasingly relying on additional information such as videos that require higher bandwidths. Therefore, many countries are transitioning or integrating their public safety networks with advanced broadband wireless communication systems such as fourth-generation (4G) long-term evolution (LTE) and planning to evolve to fifth-generation (5G) new radio (NR) in the future. The paper investigates infrastructure sharing mechanisms and deployment strategies in the transition of PSNs to a 4G LTE network, including a roadmap for cost analysis. Additionally, the paper examines LTE-based PSN deployment scenarios in various countries and engages in a discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of different sharing mechanisms and coexistence schemes. Finally, the challenges within the Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) are addressed and potential future research directions in this domain are deliberated.

It is widely expected that future networks of 6G and beyond will substantially improve on 5G. Technologies such as Internet of Skills and Industry 4.0 will become stable and viable, as a direct consequence of networks that offer sustained and reliable mobile performance levels. The primary challenges for future technologies are not just low-latency and high-bandwidth. The more critical problem Mobile Service Providers (MSPs) will face will be in balancing the inflated demands of network connections and customers’ trust in the network service. That is, being able to interconnect billions of unique devices while adhering to the agreed terms of Service Level Agreements (SLAs). To meet these targets, it is self-evident that MSPs cannot operate in a solitary environment. They must enable cooperation among themselves in a manner that ensures trust, both between themselves as well as with customers. In this study, we present the BEAT (Blockchain-Enabled Accountable and Transparent) Infrastructure Sharing architecture. BEAT exploits the inherent properties of permissioned type of distributed ledger technology (i.e., permissioned distributed ledgers) to deliver on accountability and transparency metrics whenever infrastructure needs to be shared between providers. We also propose a lightweight method that enables device-level accountability. BEAT has been designed to be deployable directly as only minor software upgrades to network devices such as routers. Our simulations on a resource-limited device show that BEAT adds only a few seconds of overhead processing time – with the latest state-of-the-art network devices, we can reasonably anticipate much lower overheads.

Network infrastructure sharing and mobile traffic offloading are promising technologies for Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) to provide energy and cost effective services. In order to decrease the energy requirements and the capital and operational expenditures, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and third parties cooperate dynamically with changing roles leading to a novel market model, where innovative challenges are introduced. In this paper, a novel resource sharing and offloading algorithm is introduced based on a double auction mechanism where MNOs and third parties buy and sell capacity and roam their traffic among each other. For low traffic periods, Base Stations (BSs) and Small Cells (SCs) can even be switched off in order to gain even more in energy and cost. Due to the complexity of the scenario, we adopt the multi-objective optimization theory to capture the conflicting interests of the participating entities and we design an iterative double auction algorithm that ensures the efficient operation of the market. Additionally, the selection of the appropriate time periods to apply the proposed algorithm is of great importance. Thus, we propose a machine learning technique for traffic load prediction and for the selection of the most effective time periods to offload traffic and switch off the Base Stations. Analytical and experimental results are presented to assess the performance of the algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study a full-duplex (FD) cloud radio access network (C-RAN) from the aspects of infrastructure sharing and information secrecy, where the central unit utilizes FD remote radio units (RU)s belonging to the same operator, i.e., the trusted RUs, as well as the RUs belonging to other operators or private owners, i.e., the untrusted RUs. Furthermore, the communication takes place in the presence of untrusted external receivers, i.e., eavesdropper nodes. The communicated uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) waveforms are quantized in order to comply with the limited capacity of the fronthaul links. In order to provide information secrecy, we propose a novel utilization of the quantization noise shaping in the DL, such that it is simultaneously used to comply with the limited capacity of the fronthaul links, as well as to degrade decoding capability of the individual eavesdropper and the untrusted RUs for both the UL and DL communications. In this regard, expressions describing the achievable secrecy rates are obtained. An optimization problem for jointly designing the DL and UL quantization and precoding strategies are then formulated, with the purpose of maximizing the overall system weighted sum secrecy rate. Due to the intractability of the formulated problem, an iterative solution is proposed, following the successive inner approximation and semi-definite relaxation frameworks, with convergence to a stationary point. Numerical evaluations indicate a promising gain of the proposed approaches for providing information secrecy against the untrusted infrastructure nodes and/or external eavesdroppers in the context of FD C-RAN communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

本文在電信管理法開放第五代行動通訊（5G）相關電信業者共用頻率之背景下，探究相關合作行為在競爭法上的定性以及競爭分析所涉因素。共用頻率係基礎設施共享的一種類型，在對於行動通信基礎設施共享的類型及其技術、管制與競爭等層面進行簡介與初步分析之後，本文以歐盟的監管政策及競爭法上的分析與案例為比較對象，分析頻率共用行為在電信管理法兼冶競爭目的之產業政策下，是否及如何適用公平交易法有關聯合行為的規定。 本文依照電信業者享有使用權及進行共用之頻率資源，將其共用行為分為「促進市場參進」及「共同開發網路」2 種類型，其中僅後者可能合致公平交易法上的聯合行為，並分析依該法第 15 條審查時應考慮的因素。 This contribution explores the properties under competition law and related analytical factors of spectrum sharing, which is allowed under Telecommunications Management Act among 5G mobile telecommunications operators. Based on preliminary remarks and analysis of infrastructure sharing of mobile telecommunications, including its technical, regulatory, and competitive aspects, comparative legal studies focusing on whether and how Article 14 of the FTC Act, which pertains to concerted actions, applies to the cooperative behaviors concerning spectrum sharing are conducted. The said behaviors are categorized into two types, “entry enhancing” and “network developing,” according to the spectrums licensed to and shared by the operators, where only the latter type has the potential to be deemed as a concerted action. An analysis on the review concerning the approval of the latter type of cooperation under Article 15 of the Act is then provided.

Infrastructure sharing has been a growing topic of interest in the context of the fifth generation of cellular technology (5G). With the expected Ultra-Dense Networks (UDN), which will lead to a relevant increase in the number of sites, concerns regarding the availability of space for new towers and masts in city centers arise. Also, the capacity of mobile network operators to handle the costs of these networks by themselves assuring the return of investment is put to test. Neutral hosts appear as a promising solution to this challenge, however it can be a complex business model. This paper proposes a mathematical model for calculating the benefits of infrastructure sharing, including the scenario with a neutral host, aiming at applying it to a tool-based framework which compares it to other sharing strategies, suggesting the best alternative from the financial perspective. Preliminary results show that sharing with a neutral host can increase savings in comparison to other passive sharing strategies, however this advantage seems to hold only for a certain range of market share of the involved operators, being also affected by the amount of overlap of the desired infrastructures

The relationship between market competition and network investment in the mobile telecommunications industry has always been one of the focuses for scholars and regulatory agencies. The conclusions of previous studies on this topic remain ambiguous. Infrastructure sharing has become a noticeable trend in the global mobile telecommunications industry, but its impact on operators' investment and innovation behaviors is controversial. This paper uses fixed effects and dynamic panel data models to empirically examine the relationship among the market competition, infrastructure sharing, and network investment in China's mobile telecommunications industry. The results show that market competition has a significant positive impact on the total industry network investment, but the interaction of market competition and infrastructure sharing has undermined network investment, which indicates that the competitive strategy of rational operators will shift from facility-based competition to service-based competition when both deep infrastructure sharing and fierce market competition appear at the same time, and this is likely to cause insufficient incentives for investment in advanced technology. This paper suggests that China's regulators should improve the market structure, enhance market competitiveness continuously, and support infrastructure sharing, but at the same time they should exercise caution when conducting in-depth infrastructure sharing. In addition, they should accelerate the development of 5G vertical industry applications to expand the market space for industry development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Network infrastructure sharing and mobile traffic offloading are promising technologies for Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) to provide energy and cost effective services. In order to decrease the energy requirements and the capital and operational expenditures, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and third parties cooperate dynamically with changing roles leading to a novel market model, where innovative challenges are introduced. In this paper, a novel resource sharing and offloading algorithm is introduced based on a double auction mechanism where MNOs and third parties buy and sell capacity and roam their traffic among each other. For low traffic periods, Base Stations (BSs) and Small Cells (SCs) can even be switched off in order to gain even more in energy and cost. Due to the complexity of the scenario, we adopt the multi-objective optimization theory to capture the conflicting interests of the participating entities and we design an iterative double auction algorithm that ensures the efficient operation of the market. Additionally, the selection of the appropriate time periods to apply the proposed algorithm is of great importance. Thus, we propose a machine learning technique for traffic load prediction and for the selection of the most effective time periods to offload traffic and switch off the Base Stations. Analytical and experimental results are presented to assess the performance of the algorithm.

Computer networks and logistics systems are two very rich fields of study that have grown almost entirely separately since they deal with entirely different entities-information packets versus packages. However, driven by extensive automation and infusion of information technology into distribution logistics and need to improve the efficiency and sustainability of the operations, the logistics have attempted to adopt the cyber Internet principles. In this paper, we specifically consider the distribution of perishable commodities, such as fresh food, perishable pharmaceuticals, blood, and so on, in this context and thereby introduce the notion of the Internet of Perishable Logistics (IoPL). We propose a layered architecture model for IoPL modeled after the cyber Internet and show how it can be useful in systematic and hierarchical modeling of perishable logistics operations, which are extremely complex. We also show the synergies between IoPL and the cyber Internet and discuss a number of research issues inspired by such synergies. We also show how the layered model can be exploited to construct a simplified analytical framework for studying some basic tradeoffs between the delivered quality of the perishable product, transportation efficiency (in terms of unused carrier space), and the number of active carriers (which translates into cost and carbon footprint of the transportation service). This paper also points out a number of future research challenges and directions for a smarter IoPL.

Optimal network planning is crucial to ensure viable investments. However, engineering analysis and cost assessment frequently occur independently of each other. Whereas considerable research has been undertaken on 5G networks, there is a lack of openly accessible tools that integrate the engineering and cost aspects, in a techno-economic assessment framework capable of providing geospatially-explicit network analytics. Consequently, this paper details an open-source python simulator for integrated modelling of 5G (pysim5G), that enables both engineering and cost metrics to be assessed in a single unified framework. The tool includes statistical analysis of radio interference to assess the system-level performance of 4G and 5G frequency band coexistence (including millimeter wave), while simultaneously quantifying the costs of ultra-dense 5G networks. An example application of this framework explores the techno-economics of 5G infrastructure sharing strategies, finding that total deployment costs can be reduced by 30% using either passive site sharing, or passive backhaul sharing, or by up to 50% via a multi-operator radio access network. The key contribution is a fully-tested, open-source software codebase, allowing users to undertake integrated techno-economic assessment of 5G deployments in a single geospatial framework.

Fifth-generation wireless (5G) mobile communication technology has been classified as a high wireless standard that is capable of handling internet of things, machine-to-machine, and device-to-device communication. Consequently, there is a need to meet the very sensitive requirements of 5G, which include high coverage density, high speed, high capacity and low end-to-end delay. Of crucial importance is 5G's passive infrastructure. This paper therefore presents a techno-economic analysis of the current telecommunication infrastructure, as well as investigating and determining the suitable passive infrastructure for 5G technology deployment. The paper outlines all the passive infrastructure elements and proposes a mathematical model to calculate the capital expenditure, operational expenditure, total cost of investment (TCI) or total cost of ownership (TCO) and net present value (NPV). Experiments are performed using market prices from the national communication authority, the mobile network operators and the tower company of Ghana. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the variables that increase the TCO or TCI, NPV and return on investment, and to propose the most economical passive infrastructure architecture for easy implementation of 5G technology in Ghana and Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Massive MIMO is a key 5G technology that achieves high spectral efficiency and capacity by significantly increasing the number of antennas per cell. Furthermore, due to precoding, massive MIMO allows co-channel interference cancellation across cells. In this work, based on experimental channel data for an indoor scenario, we analyse the impact of inter and intra-cell interference suppression in terms of spectral efficiency, capacity, user fairness and computational cost for three simulated systems under different cooperation levels. The first scenario assumes a cooperative case where eight neighbouring cells share the spectrum and infrastructure. This scenario provides the highest system performance; however, user fairness is achieved only when there is inter and intra-cell interference suppression. The second scenario considers eight cells that only share the spectrum; with full intra-cell and inter-cell interference cancellation, it is possible to achieve 32% of the optimal capacity with 20% of the computational cost in each distributed CPU, although the total computational cost per system is the highest. The third scenario considers eight independent cells operating in different frequency bands; in this case, intra-cell interference suppression leads to higher spectral efficiency compared to the cooperative case without intra-cell interference suppression.

Expanding the market of mobile network services and defining solutions that are cost efficient are the key challenges for next generation mobile networks. Network slicing is commonly considered to be the main instrument to exploit the flexibility of the new radio interface and core network functions. It targets splitting resources among services with different requirements and tailoring system parameters according to their needs. Regulation authorities also recognize network slicing as a way of opening the market to new players who can specialize in providing new mobile services acting as “tenants” of the slices. Resources can also be distributed between infrastructure providers and tenants so that they meet the requirements of the services offered. In this paper, we propose a model for dynamic trading of mobile network resources in a market that enables automatic optimization of technical parameters and of economic prices according to high level policies defined by the tenants. We introduce a mathematical formulation for the problems of resource allocation and price definition and show how the proposed approach can cope with quite diverse service scenarios presenting a large set of numerical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In other to mitigate challenges associated with the expansion of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) systems, infrastructure sharing have been proposed and adopted by some GSM operators. When infrastructure sharing is done, there is the possibility of degradation of quality of service due to Electromagnetic Compatibility issues, interference between operators, sensitivity degradation, increasing noise floor, antenna isolation requirement issue. This paper analyses the sensitivity degradation and the effects of spatial separation on antenna isolation requirement of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) receiver for a multi-operator mobile cellular systems. The data used were extracted from standards of organisation like European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) standards and others. Antenna dimension were obtained from physical observations of BTS site. By comparison with identified metrics in the standards, we verified that the number of operators that can share infrastructure is limited by the allowable sensitivity degradation. It was noted that an antenna isolation of 70dB can be achieved for GSM 900 band antennas and when GSM 1800 band antennas are used, 90dB antenna isolation is achievable greater than the minimum recommendation of 30dB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The next generation of wireless and mobile networks will have to handle a significant increase in traffic load compared to the current ones. This situation calls for novel ways to increase the spectral efficiency. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a wireless spectrum hypervisor architecture that abstracts a radio frequency (RF) front-end into a configurable number of virtual RF front ends. The proposed architecture has the ability to enable flexible spectrum access in existing wireless and mobile networks, which is a challenging task due to the limited spectrum programmability, i.e., the capability a system has to change the spectral properties of a given signal to fit an arbitrary frequency allocation. The proposed architecture is a non-intrusive and highly optimized wireless hypervisor that multiplexes the signals of several different and concurrent multi-carrier-based radio access technologies with numerologies that are multiple integers of one another, which are also referred in our work as radio access technologies with correlated numerology. For example, the proposed architecture can multiplex the signals of several Wi-Fi access points, several LTE base stations, several WiMAX base stations, etc. As it able to multiplex the signals of radio access technologies with correlated numerology, it can, for instance, multiplex the signals of LTE, 5G-NR and NB-IoT base stations. It abstracts a radio frequency front-end into a configurable number of virtual RF front ends, making it possible for such different technologies to share the same RF front-end and consequently reduce the costs and increasing the spectral efficiency by employing densification, once several networks share the same infrastructure or by dynamically accessing free chunks of spectrum. Therefore, the main goal of the proposed approach is to improve spectral efficiency by efficiently using vacant gaps in congested spectrum bandwidths or adopting network densification through infrastructure sharing. We demonstrate mathematically how our proposed approach works and present several simulation results proving its functionality and efficiency. Additionally, we designed and implemented an open-source and free proof of concept prototype of the proposed architecture, which can be used by researchers and developers to run experiments or extend the concept to other applications. We present several experimental results used to validate the proposed prototype. We demonstrate that the prototype can easily handle up to 12 concurrent physical layers.

In this paper, we address the sharing incentive issue in multi-tenant passive optical networks (PONs). We propose an economic-robust and efficient sharing platform for new emerging multi-tenant PON networks. This platform is capable of accommodating a diverse range of service providers and enhancing the network utilization. We propose a sharing platform that provides sharing incentives for the incumbent network operators through monetization of inter-operator network sharing. Meanwhile, the platform allows the incumbent operators to operate a virtual instance of the bandwidth scheduling algorithm that enables them to meet their quality of service and latency requirements. Therefore, the proposed sharing platform grants a high degree of control to the operators co-operating the same network while, thanks to the higher resource efficiency, reduces the initial investment. We first model the multi-tenant PON as a market and define the roles of the virtual network operators and the infrastructure provider along with their utility functions. We propose a double auction mechanism to facilitate the trading of excess resources. The proposed double auction satisfies the crucial economic properties of a market while it achieves more efficient resource allocation among the market players. We have theoretically proven the economic robustness of the mechanism including incentive compatibility, individual rationality, and weak budget balance. Through extensive market simulations, we confirmed that the proposed mechanism achieves superior allocative efficiency compared to a reference baseline mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conflicting problems of growing mobile service demand and underutilization of dedicated spectrum has given rise to a paradigm where mobile network operators (MNOs) share their infrastructure among themselves in order to lower their operational costs, while at the same time increase the usage of their existing network resources. We model and analyze such an infrastructure sharing system considering a single buyer MNO and multiple seller MNOs. Assuming that the locations of the BSs can be modeled as a homogeneous Poisson point process, we find the downlink signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR) coverage probability for a user served by the buyer MNO in an infrastructure sharing environment. We analyze the trade-off between increasing the transmit power of a base station (BS) and the intensity of BSs owned by the buyer MNO required to achieve a given quality-of-service (QoS) in terms of the SINR coverage probability. Also, for a seller MNO, we analyze the power consumption of the network per unit area (i.e., areal power consumption) which is shown to be a piecewise continuous function of BS intensity, composed of a linear and a convex function. Accordingly, the BS intensity of the seller MNO can be optimized to minimize the areal power consumption while achieving a minimum QoS for the buyer MNO. We then use these results to formulate a single-buyer multiple-seller BS infrastructure market. The buyer MNO is concerned with finding which seller MNO to purchase from and what fraction of BSs to purchase. On the sellers’ side, the problem of pricing and determining the fraction of infrastructure to be sold is formulated as a Cournot oligopoly market. We prove that the iterative update of each seller's best response always converges to the Nash Equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite 5G still being embryonic in its development, there is already a quest for evidence to support decision-making in government and industry. Although there is still considerable technological, economic and behavioural uncertainty, exploration of how the potential rollout may take place both spatially and temporally is required for effective policy formulation. Consequently, the cost, coverage and rollout implications of 5G networks across Britain are explored by extrapolating 4G LTE and LTE-Advanced characteristics for the period 2020–2030. We focus on ubiquitous ultrafast broadband of 50 Mbps and test the impact of annual capital intensity, infrastructure sharing and reducing the end-user speed in rural areas to either 10 or 30 Mbps. For the business- as -usual scenario we find that 90% of the population is covered with 5G by 2027, but coverage is unlikely to reach the final 10% due to exponentially increasing costs. Moreover, varying annual capital intensity or deploying a shared small cell network can greatly influence the time taken to reach the 90% threshold, with these changes mostly benefiting rural areas. Importantly, simply by integrating new and existing spectrum, a network capable of achieving 10 Mbps per rural user is possible, which is comparable to the UK's current fixed broadband Universal Service Obligation. We contribute to the literature by quantifying the effectiveness of the spatial and temporal rollout of 5G under different policy options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is aimed at investigating the firm's decisions about the degree of quality improvements for advanced technology services when other approaches to infrastructure deployment, especially co-investment, act as alternative ways to launch new services. The model developed in this study considers the asymmetry of firms. This study shows that co-investment results in greater consumer welfare than fully distributed cost regulation, even though investment levels in quality improvements are lower. However, compared to individual investment, co-investment produces a deterioration in quality improvements when infrastructure sharing induces a considerable amount of incremental costs. The regulator should monitor co-investment agreements to avoid situations of tacit collusion especially when firms exhibit cost asymmetry in the deployment of advanced technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To cope with the unprecedented growth of mobile data traffic, we investigate the performance gains obtained from unifying coverage-centric 4G mobile networks and capacity-centric fiber-wireless (FiWi) broadband access networks based on data-centric Ethernet technologies with resulting fiber backhaul sharing and WiFi offloading capabilities. Despite recent progress on backhaul-aware 4G studies with capacity-limited backhaul links, the performance-limiting impact of backhaul latency and reliability has not been examined in sufficient detail previously. In this paper, we evaluate the maximum aggregate throughput, offloading efficiency, and in particular, the delay performance of FiWi enhanced LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) heterogeneous networks (HetNets), including the beneficial impact of various localized fiber-lean backhaul redundancy and wireless protection techniques, by means of probabilistic analysis and verifying simulation, paying close attention to fiber backhaul reliability issues and WiFi offloading limitations due to WiFi mesh node failures as well as temporal and spatial WiFi coverage constraints. We use recent and comprehensive smartphone traces of the PhoneLab data set to verify whether the previously reported assumption that the complementary cumulative distribution function of both WiFi connection and interconnection times fit a truncated Pareto distribution is still valid. In this paper, we put a particular focus on the 5G key attributes of very low latency and ultra-high reliability and investigate how they can be achieved in FiWi enhanced LTE-A HetNets. Furthermore, given the growing interest in decentralization of future 5G networks (e.g., user equipment assisted mobility), we develop a decentralized routing algorithm for FiWi enhanced LTE-A HetNets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Next generation mobile networks will rely ever more heavily on resource sharing. In this paper, we study the sharing of radio access network and spectrum among mobile operators. We assess the impact of sharing these two types of resources on the performance of spatially distributed mobile networks. We apply stochastic geometry to observe the combined effect of, for example, the level of spatial clustering among the deployed base stations, the shared network size, or the coordination in shared spectrum use on network coverage and expected user data rate. We uncover some complex effects of mobile network resource sharing, which involve nonlinearly scaling gains and performance tradeoffs related to the sharing scenario or the spatial clustering level. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In recent time the spectrum and infrastructure sharing hasbeen gaining more and more on importance due to high spectrumlicense costs and expensive infrastructure needed formodem high-bandwidth wireless communications. In this paperthe advantages and disadvantages of spectrum and infrastructuresharing by analytical models and simulations are analyzed.Results show that operators could significantly reducetheir costs, increase capacity and improve network quality bysharing their infrastructure and spectrum. Using Game Theoryit is shown how operators could "protect themselves" againstnon-cooperative behaviour of other operators.

The tradition network sharing models on existing mobile architecture is a challenging for the mobile operator to cope the future competitive market while increasing average revenue per user. In fact, to sustain the future data tsunami, the operators are already investing in their network. However, they are not yet capturing their investments. The average revenue per user has declined. Moreover, the static and rapid commoditization of network equipments and service provisioning are pushing the mobile operators’ to adopt different strategies such as networking sharing in the access and core network for to reduce OPEX and CAPEX. In this paper, we proposed new models for mobile operators to share their network through cloud platform (e.g. pay-as-you-go) in order to open new business strategies and to reduce CAPEX and OPEX. On the other hand, this proposal also cops the future data tsunami and introduces more flexibility, elasticity and on-demand features to the LTE/EPC architecture.

Stochastic models of base station infrastructure deployment by multiple mobile operators can be an invaluable tool for deriving fundamental results about wireless network sharing. In this paper, we study stochastic geometry models for a shared cellular network consisting of base stations deployed by multiple mobile operators, based on real cellular network data coming from three European countries. Relying on a statistical approach as well as the evaluation of wireless network performance metrics, we show that the log-Gaussian Cox process provides the most compelling fitness results with real multi-operator base station deployment patterns and a model that offers some degree of analytical tractability. The model captures the fact that, in urban areas, there is strong correlation between the locations where the base stations of different operators are deployed. In contrast to that, in rural areas we observe some repulsion between antenna locations of different operators. Moreover, we observe that the behavior which can be modelled with the help of these processes occurs over and over again for similar areas in different countries, which suggests universality of the proposed models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of fourth-generation wireless technologies has fueled the rapid development of cellular networks, significantly increasing the energy consumption and the expenditures of mobile network operators (MNOs). In addition, network underutilization during low-traffic periods (e.g., night zone) has motivated a new business model, namely, infrastructure sharing, which allows the MNOs to have their traffic served by other MNOs in the same geographic area, thus enabling them to switch off part of their network. In this paper, we propose a novel infrastructure-sharing algorithm for multioperator environments, which enables the deactivation of underutilized base stations during low-traffic periods. Motivated by the conflicting interests of the MNOs and the necessity for effective solutions, we introduce a game-theoretic framework that enables the MNOs to individually estimate the switching-off probabilities that reduce their expected financial cost. Our approach reaches dominant strategy equilibrium, which is the strategy that minimizes the cost of each player. Finally, we provide extensive analytical and experimental results to estimate the potential energy and cost savings that can be achieved in multioperator environments, incentivizing the MNOs to apply the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes pole sharing based on an economic market model proposal. There is a history of conflicts between electricity and telecommunications companies about the infrastructure sharing over which energy and information are conveyed and supplied to consumers. The current pricing models that define the pole rental value per point to be paid by telecom have attracted many criticisms. This paper aimed to propose a study model of the pole attachment economics in order to establish the pole point rental on an objective basis, perhaps eliminating some of the criticism, which involves that matter from its inception. To support the model, it was devised the sharing representation regarding both their physical and financial assets, including the regulation mechanisms and the social welfare optimization principle on which public policies are based. A simulation of 1-year contract between an electric and a telecommunication company will be performed in order to determine the rental fair price to telecom ensuring the economic and financial balance of the electric company and the reasonable tariff to energy end consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we introduce a physical Internet architecture for fresh food distribution networks with the goal of meeting the key challenges of maximizing the freshness of the delivered product and minimizing waste. The physical Internet (PI) architecture is based on the fundamental assumptions of infrastructure sharing among various parties, standardized addressing of all entities and modularized operations. In this paper, we enhance the PI architecture by including a freshness metric and the space-efficient loading/unloading of heterogeneous perishable goods onto the trucks depending on their delivery requirements. We also discuss mechanisms for reducing empty miles of trucks and the carbon footprint of the logistics while reducing the driver’s away-from-home time for long distance delivery. Via extensive simulations, the paper shows that the proposed architecture reduces the driver’s away-from-home time by ∼93%, whereas it improves the food delivery freshness by ∼5%. We show that there is a clear tradeoff between the transportation efficiency of the trucks and the delivery freshness of the food packages.