Iterative Fair Channel Assignment for Wireless Networks

We introduce an orthogonal channel assignment algorithm that increases spectrum utilization via systematic re-use of channels, leveraging carrier aggregation capability supported in the latest access technologies and maintaining fairness across networks. Unlike conventional graph coloring, the proposed algorithm iterates over available channels assigning one channel at a time starting with a network with a higher priority (e.g. based on assigned channels so far) and then re-using the same channel in as many other networks as possible. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm not only improves spectrum utilization but also well approximates the optimal solution yet with polynomial-time complexity.