Smart Service-Aware Wireless Mixed-Area Networks

Smart services such as smart home, smart grid, smart transportation, and so on, are enabled with advanced communications networks, data analysis and control. However, challenges exist in designing a supporting network with optimal resource management while achieving quality- of-experience for a smart service. In this article, we propose a unified SA-WMN architecture that can be applied to different smart services. The core of the SA-WMN architecture is a smart service-aware network controller. The mega network controller has a service adaptation module, network cognition module and resource provisioning module that can achieve cost-effective wireless-mixed area network deployment, and efficient network resource management of SA-WMN. The proposed SA-WMN architecture is expected to close the gap on wireless network design, improve energy efficiency and enhance spectrum efficiency and access, in a smart service- aware paradigm. It will pave the way for realizing next-generation wireless network based smart services.