A near perfect stable random access protocol for a broadcast channel

A near perfect stable random access protocol for a broadcast channel, the distributed queuing random access protocol (DQRAP), is presented and evaluated. The DQRAP protocol utilizes minislots to provide ternary channel feedback and two distributed queues to resolve contention and to schedule the transmission of messages. Modeling and simulation indicate that the DQRAP protocol, using as few as three minislots, achieves a performance level which approaches that of a hypothetical perfect scheduling protocol, i.e., the M/D/1 system, with respect to throughput and delay. The DQRAP protocol is stable and not sensitive to propagation delay and thus offers the potential of improved performance over current protocols in satellite, metropolitan and packet radio networks.>