Ofcom examines options for mesh networks and DSA in wireless spectrum report

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Ofcom estimates that more efficient use of existing radio spectrum could generate an extra £6.5 billion for the UK economy over the next 20 years.

The telecoms industry regulator's second annual Technology Research and Development Report provides an overview of the emerging technologies that have the potential to make more use existing, finite radio spectrum.

Ofcom dismisses cognitive radio and software defined radio, which it does not expect to have an impact in the short to medium term, instead preferring to focus on two technologies - dynamic spectrum access (DSA) and mesh networks.

DSA would allow intelligent communication devices, such as mobile phones, laptops or PDAs, to roam onto any available wireless network at any point in time, rather than restricting service provision to just one network provider.

With a variety of different networks and providers to choose from, a communications device could intelligently select the cheapest service for the customer or the network with the appropriate service quality and bandwidth to match the service the customer wants to use. The technology would also allow network operators to transmit pricing and service quality information to devices.

The report anticipates that DSA technology would make efficient use of the spectrum 'by linking the supply of spectrum with demand though an open and competitive marketplace for real time access to spectrum'. Based on the initial research, Ofcom believes that the technology could be ready to deploy in five to 10 years' time.

Mesh networks, on the other hand, have the potential to provide complementary coverage to existing cellular systems, thereby extending hotspots to wider areas, providing broadband networks to rural communities. and enabling sensor networks which, Ofcom says, have the potential to bring significant benefits, for example in the transport and healthcare sectors.

'Ofcom has supported the emergence of mesh networks by undertaking research which has provided insight into where the benefits from the technology are likely to emerge, dispelling some of commonly misunderstood statements about the technology, and by developing improved propagation models for services which will be based on mesh networks,' the report says

Ofcom also believes that increased liberalisation of the spectrum will be central to future developments. To that end it has focussed its research on ensuring that liberalisation does not lead to fragmentation, leaving areas of the spectrum to small to be used, on improving its understanding of interference and on encouraging the use of higher frequencies by increasing service reliability.

Ofcom concludes that, as is typical in many areas of technology, including wireless, only a few developing technologies will succeed.

'Our key findings this year are consistent with this, suggesting that of the many new technologies that are currently the subject of research and development in industry and academia, we expect only a few to have a significant impact on the use of the spectrum in the next decade,' the report says. 'The technologies which we have considered which could have a significant impact on the use of new spectrum are mesh networks and dynamic spectrum access.'

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