Physical-layer security challenges of DSA-enabled TD-LTE

The Time-Division mode for Long Term Evolution (TD-LTE) is viewed by many as the first waveform that will be enabled by Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) and see widespread adoption in both the commercial and public safety arena. The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is developing standards for DSA-enabling TD-LTE. In this paper we take an initial look at the Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (EUTRAN), the air interface for TD-LTE, and seek to identify how a DSA-enabled version of TD-LTE could be efficiently jammed by an adversary. Robust communications in the face of hostile jammers will be a necessary component as DSA-TD-LTE is being to be deployed by public safety users. We focus on physical-layer features such as the OFDM and MIMO, and how DSA could potentially be implemented. Then we lay out a roadmap for future research and development that ensures that the waveform can be ruggedized in an interoperable way.

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