Spatial reuse and fairness of mobile ad-hoc networks with channel-aware CSMA protocols

We investigate the benefits of channel-aware (opportunistic) scheduling of transmissions in ad-hoc networks. The key challenge in optimizing the performance of such systems is finding a good compromise among three interdependent quantities, the density and channel quality of the scheduled transmitters, and the resulting interference at receivers. We propose two new channel-aware slotted CSMA protocols: opportunistic CSMA (O-CSMA) and quantile-based CSMA (QT-CSMA) and develop stochastic geometric models allowing us to quantify their performance in terms of spatial reuse and spatial fairness. When properly optimized these protocols offer substantial improvements in terms of both of these metrics relative to CSMA - particularly when the density of nodes is moderate to high. Moreover, we show that a simple version of QT-CSMA can achieve robust performance gains without requiring careful parameter optimization. The paper supports the case that the benefits associated with channel-aware scheduling in ad hoc networks, as in centralized base station scenarios, might far outweigh the associated overhead, and this can be done robustly using a QT-CSMA like protocol.