Quality- and availability-aware spectrum sharing for improved packet delivery in spectrum-agile networks

In this paper, we propose a novel CRN MAC, called MAX-PS-MAC. MAX-PS-MAC uses a probabilistic channel assignment mechanism that attempts at maximizing the packet success probability of each transmission by exploiting statistical information regarding availability durations and link quality conditions of idle channels. While most of previously proposed CRN MAC protocols account for PR channel dynamics by requiring communicating CR users to consistently perform dynamic channel switching according to PR activities, MAX-PS-MAC avoids the significant overhead and delay of channel switching by providing communicating CR users with the idle channel that provides the highest probability of success. Simulation results indicate that compared to typical CRN MAC protocols, MAX-PS-MAC significantly reduces the forced-termination rate of CR transmissions, which consequently improves network throughput by up to 110%.