Resource Sharing for Broadband Access Networks
Connections between network customers and the network come in many forms, wireless
data systems, e.g., IEEE 802.16, wireless cellular systems, e.g. 3G, coax cable networks,
e.g., DOCSIS, fiber optic communications systems, e.g., EPON, copper twisted pair, e.g.,
DSL, and powerline communications systems. All of these systems use various resource
sharing strategies. The resource sharing strategy is matched to the necessities of specific
systems as well as their operating environments. There are commonalities between these
strategies as well as differences. This course will look at resource sharing from a general
perspective and then examine specific systems to underscore their commonalities and
differences. Systems to be studied in detail include, DOSCIS, IEEE 802.16/Wi-Max,
WCDMA, HSDPA/HSUPA, EV-DO, EPON, powerline networks. The use of cognitive
radio communications technologies in future access networks will be introduced.
Textbook: None
Website: http://www.ittc.ku.edu/~frost/Access_Technologies_Course
Reference Texts:
B. Bing, “Broadband Wireless Access, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000.
Michel D. Yacoub, “Wireless Technologies: Protocols, Standards, and Techniques” CRC
Press, 2002.
Glen Kramer, “Ethernet Passive Optical Networks,” McGraw-Hill, 2005
WCDMA for UMTS: Radio Access for Third Generation Mobile Communications by
Harri Holma and Antti Toskala, Wiley, 2004
HSDPA/HSUPA for UMTS: High Speed Radio Access for Mobile Communications,
Harri Holma, Antti Toskala, Wiley, 2006
A. Leon-Garcia and I. Widjaja, “Communication Networks: Fundamentals Concepts and
Key Architectures, McGraw Hill, 2004
Prerequisites by Topic:
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Basic knowledge of a computer networks
Basic probability
Course Topics:
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Review of basic networking principles
Introduction to network performance metrics
o What is ideal?
o
o
o
o
o
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Application types
Barriers to achieving the ideal
Performance metrics
Network Performance Perspective
What performance can the network guarantee
Techniques for coping with access (last hop) impairments
o Techniques for coping with noise
 Forward error detection/correction coding
 Automatic Repeat reQuest (ARQ)
 Incremental Redundancy
 Co-existence or modifications to end-to-end protocols: End-to-End
(TCP) vs ARQ
 Case Study: TCP Performance over Multilink PPP in Wireless
Networks: Theory and Field Experiences
o Techniques for coping with multipath fading
 Equalizers
 Diversity
 RAKE receivers
 OFDM
Resource Sharing Principles and Mechanisms for Access Networks
o Review general access network topologies
o Resource sharing principles
 Resource reservation (call) model
 Dedicated resources
 Shared after reservation
 Always-on model
 Polling

Access
o Asymmetric mechanisms
 Assumptions
 General descriptions
 Scheduling in the downstream
 Contention in the upstream
o Scheduling
 What is packet scheduling?
 Why is it needed?
 What are the requirements for scheduling algorithms?
 Specific algorithms
 FIFO
 RR
 WFQ
 How scheduling is used in access networks, opportunistic
scheduling, e.g., PFQ
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Specific systems
o DOSCIS
o IEEE 802.16/Wi-Max
o 3G cellular, WCDMA, HSDPA/HSUPA, EV-DO
o Case Study: Mitigating scheduler induced starvation in 3G wireless
networks
o EPON
o Powerline
o Others
Wireless access of the future: Cognitive Radio Communications for Dynamic
Spectrum Access
Summary of commonalities and differences
Course Reading List:
1. Broadband technology overview. 2005, Corning. p. 1-16.
http://www.corning.com/docs/opticalfiber/wp6321.pdf#search=%22broadband%20techn
ology%20overview%22
2. Balakrishnan, H., et al. A comparison of mechanisms for improving TCP performance
over wireless links. in ACM Sigcomm August 1996. 1996. Stanford, CA.
3. Bianchi, G., I. Tinnirello, and G. Conigliaro, Design and performance evaluation of an
hybrid reservation-polling MAC protocol for power-line communications. International
Journal of Communication Systems, 2003. 16(5): p. 427-445.
4. Eklund, C., et al., IEEE standard 802.16: a technical overview of the WirelessMAN air
interface for broadband wireless access. Communications Magazine, IEEE, 2002. 40(6):
p. 98-107.
5. Fattah, H. and C. Leung, An overview of scheduling algorithms in wireless multimedia
networks. Wireless Communications, IEEE, 2002. 9(5): p. 76-83.
6. Fellows, D. and D. Jones, DOCSIS cable modem technology. Communications
Magazine, IEEE, 2001. 39(3): p. 202-209.
7. Ghosh, A., et al., Broadband wireless access with WiMax/802.16: current performance
benchmarks and future potential. Communications Magazine, IEEE, 2005. 43(2): p. 129136.
8. Gyasi-Agyei, A. and S.-L. Kim, Cross-layer multiservice opportunistic scheduling for
wireless networks. IEEE Communications Magazine, 2006. 44(6): p. 50-57.
9. Haykin, S., Cognitive radio: brain-empowered wireless communications. Selected
Areas in Communications, IEEE Journal on, 2005. 23(2): p. 201-220.
10. Lin, Y.-D., W.-M. Yin, and C.-Y. Huang, An Investigation into HFC MAC Protocols:
Mechanisms, Implementation, and Research Issues. IEEE Communications Surveys,
2000.
11. McGarry, M.P., M. Maier, and M. Reisslein, Ethernet PONs: a survey of dynamic
bandwidth allocation (DBA) algorithms. Communications Magazine, IEEE, 2004. 42(8):
p. S8-15.
12. Parkvall, S., et al., Evolving 3G mobile systems: broadband and broadcast services in
WCDMA. Communications Magazine, IEEE, 2006. 44(2): p. 30-36.
13. Pavlidou, N., et al., Power line communications: state of the art and future trends.
Communications Magazine, IEEE, 2003. 41(4): p. 34-40.
14. Sarikaya, B., Packet mode in wireless networks: overview of transition to third
generation. Communications Magazine, IEEE, 2000. 38(9): p. 164-172.
15. Tian, Y., K. Xu, and N. Ansari, TCP in wireless environments: problems and
solutions. IEEE Radio Communications, 2005: p. S27-S32.
16. Zheng, J. and H.T. Mouftah, Media access control for Ethernet passive optical
networks: an overview. Communications Magazine, IEEE, 2005. 43(2): p. 145-150.