The past decade has seen extensive research in the lower layers of the protocol stack, resulting in significant enhancements to the science of spectrum sensing for dynamic spectrum access (DSA) networks. As disruptive access technologies that enable transmissions in the previously unexplored spectrum bands, such as mmWave frequencies, become available, new challenges will emerge concerning spectrum use and coexistence of heterogeneous devices. While spectrum in the lower MHz range will continue to be extremely valuable for long-range propagation, vast tracts of underutilized bandwidth in new spectrum bands will require completely rethinking the principles of shared medium access and user-centric quality of service (QoS).

This proposal describes a holistic research agenda concerned with developing protocol designs, network management algorithms and rigorous analytic frameworks for reliable end-to-end data delivery under assumptions of (i) diverse spectrum bands spanning very wide ranges, including unlicensed ISM and mmWave, (ii) different devices with varying levels of access priority, which in turn may generate streaming and/or contention-based traffic, (iii) coordination between a mix of stationary and mobile nodes, such as energy constrained unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) requiring very short spectrum access intervals, and (iv) extreme heterogeneity in the application service requirements that complicate reliable delivery without information from intermediate hops in a multi-node network chain.

Published Papers:
M. Erdelj, E. Natalizio, K. R. Chowdhury, and I. F. Akyildiz, “Help from the Sky: Leveraging UAVs for Disaster Management,” IEEE Pervasive Computing, vol. 16, no. 1, Jan.-Mar 2017. PDF

G. Secinti, M. E. Ozcevik, K. R. Chowdhury, and B. Canberk, “Dynamic Power Adjustment and Resource Allocation Framework for LTE Networks,” IEEE International Workshop on Computer Aided Modeling and Design of Communication Links and Networks (CAMAD), Toronto, CA, Oct. 2016. PDF

W. Li, F. Zhou, W. Meleis and K. R. Chowdhury, "Dynamic Generalization Kanerva Coding in Reinforcement Learning for TCP Congestion Control Design," 16th International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS2017), Sao Paolo, Brazil, May 2017. PDF

E. Bozkaya, K. R. Chowdhury, B. Canberk, “SINR and Reliability based Hidden Terminal Estimation for Next Generation Vehicular Networks,” in 12th ACM International Symposium on QoS and Security for Wireless and Mobile Networks (ACM Q2SWiNET), Valletta-MALTA, Nov. 2016. PDF

Under Review:
C. Bocanegra, T. Eddine, Z. Li, M. Di Felice, L. Favalli and K. Chowdhury, E-Fi: Evasive Wi-Fi Measures for Surviving LTE within 5GHz Unlicensed Band, under review, IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing, 2017.