Spectrum Sharing in CBRS Using Blockchain

Abstract

We make a case for using the emerging blockchain technology for spectrum sharing in Citizen's Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). We show that blockchain can dynamically allocate channels in a transparent and fair manner by achieving distributed channel de-confliction. Furthermore, blockchain helps automate communication between the Spectrum Access Systems (SASs) belonging to competing, non-trusting organizations by providing consensus, while at the same time preserving confidentiality of sensitive information. We implement our CBRS blockchain architecture using the Hyperledger Fabric platform. In order to support high channel request rates, we also develop a novel feature that adaptively pre-processes channel allocation requests at the SAS before sending those to the blockchain network. We evaluate our blockchain solution under different settings and show that it meets the FCC latency requirements. We also analyze the scalability of our system and show that the latency and throughput guarantees can be maintained in scenarios involving multiple organizations.