Tutorial 13: Emerging Wireless Networking Technologies

OFDMA (sub‑channel allocation to multiple users) and BSS Coloring (spatial reuse).

MLO allows aggregation of multiple channels across different bands (2.4, 5, 6 GHz), increasing throughput, reducing latency, and providing load balancing.

4096‑QAM (12 bits per symbol).

LEO: 20‑50 ms; GEO: ~600 ms.

CBRS (3.5 GHz) provides shared spectrum for private LTE/5G, enabling enterprises to deploy their own networks without owning exclusive licensed spectrum.

Separating the control plane from the data plane, with a centralized controller that manages wireless resources and enforces policies.

SDR implements radio signal processing in software (e.g., on FPGAs or DSPs) rather than dedicated hardware, allowing flexibility and reconfigurability.

The process of detecting the presence of primary users (licensed users) in a frequency band to enable dynamic spectrum access.

It allows opportunistic use of underutilized spectrum, improving spectral efficiency and alleviating congestion.

They provide high‑bandwidth backbone connectivity between satellites, reducing dependency on ground stations and enabling global low‑latency routing.

NTN integrates satellite, HAPS (High‑Altitude Platform Station), and drone communications with terrestrial 5G to provide coverage in remote areas.

100 GHz to 10 THz (or 0.1 to 10 THz).

A metasurface with programmable reflecting elements that can shape electromagnetic waves to improve propagation, coverage, and interference management.

QKD provides a method to distribute encryption keys with the security guarantee based on quantum mechanics, making it impossible to eavesdrop without detection.

TWT allows stations to negotiate scheduled wake times, reducing the need for frequent listening and saving battery.

Up to 46 Gbps (with 320 MHz, 4096‑QAM, 16 streams).

The UPF anchors the user plane, routes packets, and can be deployed at the edge (MEC) to provide low‑latency services.

High path loss, poor penetration through obstacles, and susceptibility to atmospheric absorption (e.g., rain, oxygen).

BSS coloring assigns a colour to each BSS; stations can ignore transmissions from different colours if the signal is below a threshold, allowing concurrent transmissions.

It provides a global view of the network, enabling optimal resource allocation, interference management, and policy enforcement.

An attacker transmits signals that mimic a primary user, forcing cognitive radios to vacate the spectrum, reducing available bandwidth.

Over 4,000 (and growing).

High‑Altitude Platform Stations (HAPS) operate at ~20 km altitude, providing coverage for disaster recovery and extending 5G connectivity.

It allows multi‑vendor interoperability, flexible upgrades, and cost reduction by using general‑purpose hardware.

Wi‑Fi 5 only supports downlink MU‑MIMO; Wi‑Fi 6 supports both downlink and uplink MU‑MIMO, and adds OFDMA for multi‑user frequency sharing.

Incumbent Access (federal users), Priority Access License (PAL – auctioned), and General Authorized Access (GAA – free for all with restrictions).

Using wireless signals (e.g., WiFi, 5G) to sense the environment (e.g., motion detection, occupancy) – known as integrated sensing and communication (ISAC).

High cost of infrastructure (core, base stations), spectrum licensing (unless using shared spectrum), and the need for skilled personnel.

RIS can improve coverage, reduce interference, and enhance energy efficiency by reflecting signals in desired directions without using active power amplifiers.

They will provide ubiquitous connectivity, bridging the digital divide, and enabling new services in rural, maritime, and aerial domains.

Components: gNB (base station), 5GC (can be cloud‑based), MEC (for edge computing), and UPF. Spectrum options: CBRS (3.5 GHz) in US, licensed spectrum, or NR‑U. Steps: spectrum acquisition, site survey, equipment installation, core setup, integration. Advantages: guaranteed QoS, ultra‑low latency, better mobility, higher reliability, and network slicing.

TWT allows devices to schedule wake times, reducing the need to listen for beacons and contend for access. This can reduce power consumption by up to 70% compared to Wi‑Fi 5, extending battery life.

LEO satellite: lower upfront cost (no trenching), faster deployment, but monthly cost may be higher; latency ~30 ms, speeds 100‑200 Mbps. Fiber: higher capital cost, longer deployment, but higher capacity (Gbps) and lower latency (<10 ms). For remote areas with low density, satellite is more suitable.

SDWN uses a centralized controller to dynamically assign channels, adjust transmit power, and load‑balance clients across APs based on real‑time data. It can also coordinate with a spectrum sensor to avoid interference. Benefits: 20‑30% improvement in throughput, simplified management, and better user experience.

1. Spectrum sensing: detect TV broadcast signals using energy detection or cyclostationary detection to determine if a channel is occupied by a primary user. 2. Decision: if the channel is idle, the cognitive radio selects it for transmission, adjusting power and modulation to avoid interference. 3. If a primary user appears, the CR vacates the channel (spectrum handoff).

Advantages: flexibility to support new protocols, easier upgrades, multi‑band/mode support, and lower development cost. Disadvantages: higher power consumption, increased latency, and potentially lower performance for high‑throughput operations.

Critical: ultra‑low latency (<10 ms), high reliability (99.999%), and deterministic scheduling. Network slicing can create a dedicated URLLC slice with guaranteed resources, mini‑slots, and prioritized scheduling, isolating AGV traffic from other applications.

RIS is a passive metasurface that can reflect and steer incident waves. In urban canyons, mmWave signals suffer from blockage. RIS placed on building walls can reflect signals from the base station to the user, creating virtual line‑of‑sight paths and extending coverage.

Challenges: frequency coordination with existing satellite and terrestrial services; interference mitigation (adjacent satellite and earth station); regulatory approvals (ITU, national authorities); orbital debris mitigation; and terminal cost.

NTN introduces large propagation delays (up to 20 ms for LEO) and Doppler shifts. 5G NR for NTN uses extended cyclic prefix, adjusted timing advance, and Doppler pre‑compensation to handle these effects.

Risks: primary user emulation, spectrum sensing data falsification, and jamming. Mitigations: secure sensing protocols, authentication of sensing reports, and using multiple sensing techniques (cooperative sensing).

Requirements: APs with Wi‑Fi 7 chipsets supporting 320 MHz, 4096‑QAM, MLO; client devices also need Wi‑Fi 7; increased backhaul capacity (10 GbE). Expected improvements: peak throughput > 5 Gbps, lower latency (MLO reduces contention), and better reliability through multi‑link redundancy.

Paper should cover: 11n (MIMO, 40 MHz), 11ac (80/160 MHz, MU‑MIMO DL), 11ax (OFDMA, BSS coloring, TWT, UL MU‑MIMO), 11be (320 MHz, 4096‑QAM, MLO, 16 streams). Include table with peak rates, channel widths, modulation, and key features.

Private cellular offers better reliability and QoS, but higher CAPEX/OPEX due to spectrum licensing (or CBRS fees) and dedicated core. Wi‑Fi is cheaper for most indoor use cases but lacks deterministic latency. Regulatory: CBRS enables shared spectrum, lowering barriers. TCO analysis shows private 5G may be cost‑effective for critical applications.

O‑RAN disaggregates RAN functions into CU, DU, and RU with open interfaces (e.g., fronthaul). It uses SDN and NFV to enable multi‑vendor interoperability, real‑time control (RIC), and AI/ML optimization. Contrast with monolithic RAN.

Wi‑Fi 6: 160 MHz, SNR 20 dB → C = 160e6 log₂(1+100) ≈ 1.06 Gbps (ideal). Wi‑Fi 7: 320 MHz, SNR 25 dB (with 4096‑QAM) → C = 320e6 log₂(1+316) ≈ 2.65 Gbps. But real‑world rates are lower due to overhead, interference, and channel conditions.

Challenges: jamming at the physical layer, eavesdropping, MITM at the network layer (if encryption is weak), and privacy concerns with location tracking. Mitigations: use of advanced encryption, beamforming, and authentication protocols; also, end‑to‑end encryption for user data.

DSA is a broader concept; opportunistic access is a subset. Metrics: probability of detection (Pd), probability of false alarm (Pf), throughput under sensing constraints, and interference to primary users. Trade‑off between sensing duration and data transmission time.

RIS can create virtual MIMO, improve coverage, and reduce energy. Challenges: real‑time control of thousands of elements, channel estimation (RIS introduces new paths), and hardware cost. AI‑based solutions and simplified models are being researched.

ISAC uses the same waveform and hardware for communication and sensing. 5G mmWave can be used for high‑resolution imaging, positioning, and motion detection. It enables applications like autonomous driving, health monitoring, and smart spaces.

5G URLLC: <1 ms latency, 99.999% reliability. Wi‑Fi 7: can achieve sub‑5 ms with MLO and dedicated scheduling, but lacks the deterministic nature and wide‑area mobility. Wi‑Fi 7 is suitable for indoor industrial automation with high reliability, but 5G is better for large‑scale, mobile deployments.

LEO cannot match the capacity and ultra‑low latency of terrestrial fiber and 5G (especially in urban areas). They are complementary: LEO for rural, maritime, and aerial coverage; terrestrial for dense urban and high‑capacity. Integration (NTN) is the future.

QKD over free‑space is feasible, but losses increase with distance. Mobile devices have limited size, power, and cooling, making quantum components impractical. Satellite‑based QKD can provide long‑distance keys, but integration with 5G is a challenge.

Architecture: A centralized SDN controller with interfaces to Wi‑Fi (CAPWAP), cellular (via NEF), and LoRa gateways. It uses a common data model to manage resources, perform cross‑technology handovers, and optimise energy. Applications: dynamic traffic light control (using sensor data), emergency prioritization.