Multicriteria Decision Analysis of Spectrum Management Frameworks for Futuristic Wireless Networks: The Context of Developing Countries

Abstract

National regulatory authorities (NRAs) in developing countries need an accelerated means to formulate technical regulations for the telecommunications sector. This will enable countries to gain maximum benefits from the rapid advances in technology. The existing regulation-making processes are time-consuming and do not cope with the emergence of global technological changes. This article presents an efficient and quicker approach to formulate regulatory framework to govern the wireless technologies that are based on the Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) technique. The approach utilises Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) tools. The article uses a case study to evaluate dominant Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM) frameworks. Finally, a sustainable DSM framework that has potential to address the digital divide challenges in the context of developing countries is proposed.