Inter-Operator Spectrum Sharing Model and Economic Analysis

Modern public wireless networks are based on fixed spectrum allocations where excess licensed spectrum, if available, cannot be easily leased out to another operator that may need the spectrum. This is clearly inefficient and requires a redesign for 6G networks with a diversity of operator types. Importantly, leasing excess spectrum not only promotes the efficient use of spectrum, but the lending operator can profit from spectral resources not currently needed; however, this short-term leasing must be moderated. In this paper, we build a three-player spectrum sharing model in which (lending) operator A provides its excess spectrum to a leasing platform, in turn, for (borrowing) operators B to lease. The main objective is to find the leasing strategy which maximizes the profit of operator A while serving as many users as possible; importantly, operator A guarantees a quality of service level for its own users. Numerical results not only show a potentially large increase in operator A’s profit but also the profit for operator B and the leasing platform. This is in addition to the improvement in spectrum utilization in terms of the number of users served.