Competitive Spectrum Sharing in Cognitive Radio Networks: a queuing theory based analysis

We consider cognitive radio networks where primary licensed users coexist with unlicensed users, which are allowed to opportunistically access licensed spectrum upon performing spectrum sensing functionality. An analytical framework based on queuing theory and game theory is introduced to assess the performance of the spectrum sharing process. Queuing theory is used to model the achievable throughput of secondary users, whereas game theoretic tools are introduced to capture the competitive dynamics of the spectrum sharing process among multiple secondary users. The proposed framework is used to derive performance measures of spectrum sharing when spectrum access is/is not regulated by a central spectrum management authority.