Wireless Regional Area Networking

Introduction

The Wireless Regional Area Networking (WRAN) is a networking technology that utilizes underutilized parts of the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum to provide internet connectivity across a substantial region of homes, businesses, recreational, educational and any other social institutions. Rouse (2018) highlights that while Wi-Fi signals often extend coverage of a few blocks, WRAN extends to a much wider range and penetration of obstacles through the utilization of the wireless radio signals in the range of 400-700 MHz. Mody et al. (2015) highlights that the development of WRAN standard IEEE 802.22 is aimed at using cognitive radio (CR) techniques in allowing sharing of geographically unused spectrum allocated to the television broadcast service this is done on a non-interfering basis so as to bring broadband access to typically remote areas that are not effectively networked and of low population density. WRAN as such is a timely type of data communication that has the potential of a world wide application. Rouse (2018) highlights that a WRAN customer premise equipment device connected to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) can span a range of over 33 Kilometers all the way to 100 Kilo meters in significant exceptional cases.

Functionality

The Wireless Regional Area Network is based on Cognitive Radio networks which is a goal driven framework in which the radio autonomously observes the radio environment, infers context, assesses alternatives, generates plans, supervises multimedia services, and learns from its mistakes. It comprises a radio that can change its transmitter parameters based on the interaction with the environment within which it operates. Its fundamental features which are used in the development of WRAN include its cognitive capability and re-configurability. Cognitive capability according to Smith and Hamood (2012) includes the ability to detect the existence of the information from the surrounding environment of the radio.

In cognitive capability, the suitable spectrum and operating parameters are being selected according to the previous identification of the unused parts of the spectrum at a certain period of time and place to enable data communication. Further the aspect of re-configurability enables the system the ability to be programmed according to the radio environment rather than the spectrum attentiveness in the cognitive capability property. This programming can allow the radio to receive and transmit a wide range of frequencies using different transmissions techniques (Smith and Hamood, 2012).

The Cognitive radio capabilities utilized by WRAN enables access points to negotiate with one another to avoid interference better than other existing wireless technologies. The WRAN standards are designed to operate in the TV and Radio broadcast bands while ensuring that no harmful interference is caused on the incumbent operations such as TV broadcasting, powered licensed devices such as microphones and radios. The space left by the discontinuation of analog broadcast television across the world creates unused spectrum known as White space, this enables the operations of the WRAN. Following the decision by the FCC in 2010 to discontinue analogue TV broadcasting a space was created for unlicensed use of the frequencies making the development of WI-FI and WRAN to operate on that range (Rouse, 2018).

WRAN according to Liang, Sun, Peng and Chin (2006) is particularly well suited to rural area use given that both broadband services and interfering radio frequencies are less common. It impacts on the use of expensive and less effective ways of internet connections such as satellite internet and significantly minimizes the cost of mobile data. WRAN is increasingly becoming focus architecture for remote area internet access and is significantly impacting the provision of internet services greatly minimizing its costs. However the data communication technology also possesses certain vulnerabilities that may limit user experience.

Application and Vulnerabilities

Bian and Park (2008) highlight that CR technology enables unlicensed users also referred to as secondary users in WRAN to utilize licensed spectrum bands on a non interference basis to the incumbent users this highlights that the secondary and incumbent users co exist, in a state referred to as incumbent co-existence. While the IEEE 802.22 informs a draft standard for several mechanisms involved in the addressing and management of the incumbent co-existence issues these standards present a potential vulnerability for WRAN networks upon breach. The standard involves a security sub layer which provides subscribers with privacy, authentication and confidentiality all of which are susceptible to breach by hackers as well as malware practices. In addition, Bian and Park (2008) point out that the security sublayer falls short of addressing all the key security threats leaving it quite vulnerable.

Ahmed and Fapojuwo (2016) that the CR network vulnerabilities that are left unaccounted for in addition to the experienced growth of attackers capabilities creates a strain in the CR network design such that currently most of the existing security efforts solely revolve among issues of Denial of Service (DoS) attacks of the IEEE 802.22 networks including Primary User Emulation (PUE) attack and Spectrum Sensing Data Falsification (SSDF) attack.

Benefits

Among the benefits and advantages that are associated with WRAN include: increased ranges covering up to 100 kilo meters radius from the point of broadcasting. This is as significant increase from the range provided by wireless broadcast enabling businesses to capture far off customers and achieve more prospect opportunities that were previously dormant. WRAN also oferes increased internet speeds of 22 mbps enough to enable download of data, information and graphics by companies and individuals in remote areas. Further in the rural areas where there is limited activity in terms of broadcasting given the remoteness and significantly small populations WRAN is especially effective and has more opportunities to provide internet access (Radfar, 2015).

The installation of WRAN is entirely dependent on the white spaces in the TV and Radio channels as such no additional cost for installation is required making it quite cost effective in comparison with other internet sources. Given the use and broadcast of Television and Radio signals all across the world in such and effective manner the future prospects of WRAN are quite significant especially in consideration to how cost effective as a method it is. However its usability not only comes with positive benefits for the users but a few disadvantages and challenges that WRAN users are likely to encounter in the course of time. Among these are highlighted by Ahmed and Fapojuwo (2016):

Drawbacks

Among the major disadvantage or drawbacks in its application and usability includes the fact that it is meant for the rural population and as such has no viable benefit for the local consumer. It can only be utilized in remote areas with minimal television and radio broadcasting as well as areas devoid of other broad band technologies such as cable and DSL. The Use of WRAN involves the use of the white spaces in the TV and Radio frequencies without permission, and while a certificate for GPS location is required in its operation it is still compulsory that the providers release all channels used in case of any interferences, this is both a security measures as well as a vulnerability for which the network can be infiltrated.

While future prospects are bright for the WRAN network, usability and practicability prospects are extremely minimal. Highlights that WRAN’s current application is very rare and in rural areas with signs of little or no local broadcaster to respond, in addition many of the unlicensed use of white spaces many of them have already been grasped by American Mobile companies leaving very few channels for the type of wireless broadband connectivity. This highlights the lack of its plausible application all across the globe. In any case, Bian and Park (2008) further clarify that there are very few chances in large urban areas that many channels are available for IEEE 802.22 standard. And even in these urban locations WRAN cannot be operated in any channels adjacent to incumbent broadcasters. This further significantly limits the possibility of its effective applicability in urban areas where all the potential consumers are. Given the maximum speed of 22mbps for every transmitter to multiple users in a wide range of up ro 100meters in radius will significantly reduce the eventual internet speeds received by the users, highlighting a significant limit to the speeds advertised versus the ones in actual rotation.

References

Ahmed, I. and Fapojuwo, A. (2016). Security threat assessment of simultaneous multiple Denial-of-Service attacks in IEEE 802.22 Cognitive Radio networks. 2016 IEEE 17th International Symposium on A World of Wireless, Mobile and Multimedia Networks (WoWMoM).

Bian, K. and Park, J. (2008). Security vulnerabilities in IEEE 802.22. Proceedings of the 4th International ICST Conference on Wireless Internet.

Liang, Y., Sun, S., Peng, X. and Chin, F. (2006). Tutorial 2: Emerging Wireless Standards for WRAN, WiFi, WiMedia and ZigBee. 2006 10th IEEE Singapore International Conference on Communication Systems.

Mody, A., Chouinard, G., Shellhammer, S., Ghosh, M. and Cavalcanti, D. (2015). Cognitive Wireless Regional Area Network Standard. Opportunistic Spectrum Sharing and White Space Access, pp.551-603.