A distributed ledger-enabled interworking model for the wireless air interface

Abstract

While direct allocation of spectrum and evolved medium access protocols provide a base for ubiquitous wireless connectivity, the existing TCP/IP and OSI models were designed for wired networks and do not address open interconnection of air interfaces. Without an interworking model for the air interface, existing network designs continue to tie wireless medium access to that of the backhaul provider for ownership of access and identity trust, resulting in limitations on functionality and coverage. In this paper, we propose a novel solution to access ownership and identity trust by extending the TCP network standard, under a new model we propose, named TCP-Air which integrates distributed ledger technologies directly at the air interface. Further, we present two use cases of the TCP-Air model, demonstrating applications not feasible under existing permissioned-access network designs.