Haenggi Secures $444,499 NSF Award to Analyze and Engineer Interference

The Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) 2010-2015 explains that the explosive growth of 160% for mobile data traffic has put tremendous pressure on existing mobile spectrum and networks.  These demands keep growing exponentially, while the available spectrum remains scarce.  As a result, cellular, WiFi, mesh, and cognitive networks are increasingly interference-limited.

Despite significant efforts over the last decade, key aspects of the interference are still not well understood.  In particular, the spatial and temporal correlation of the interference has been largely ignored, despite its profound impact on the performance.  Haenggi recognizes that with the proper mathematical and numerical tools from stochastic geometry and spatial statistics, the impact of protocol decisions on the interference as a random field in space and time can be assessed and, even more importantly, the question of how to engineer the interference for optimum performance can be addressed.

Haenggi’s project Interference Engineering in Wireless Systems takes a major step in this direction by focusing on the development of a fundamental understanding of the structure of the interference using a rigorous analytical approach.  While the outcomes of the project will be applicable to and relevant for most modern wireless systems, they are particularly pertinent for cognitive systems where interference between primary and secondary users is not just a technical problem leading to a performance reduction, but also a regulatory and legal issue.