Green spectrum management for mobile operators

This paper proposes intra-operator dynamic spectrum access, i.e., dynamic spectrum access by an operator´s networks of its available spectrum bands, as a means to improve power efficiency. It is based around four areas of interest: (i) dynamically moving users into particularly active bands from other bands to allow radio network equipment in those other bands to be switched off when possible, (ii) the dynamic sharing of spectrum in order to take advantage of better propagation bands and reduce necessary transmission power, (iii) the sharing of spectrum to allow channel bandwidths to be increased thus allowing transmission power to be significantly decreased, and (iv) the better hierarchical management of spectrum in cases where different types of cells coexist. Numerical results show a significant potential for such spectrum management solutions to reduce power consumption for the operator by some 50% or more, with further potential saving if there is a lower correlation in traffic loads among the operator´s networks/frequencies. It is noted that although the main objective of this paper is power saving, the concepts presented can also be used for other purposes, such as to increase achievable capacity.