Adaptive spectrum control

1 . A method comprising:

assigning a first radio frequency band to a plurality of radio access network (RAN) slices of a network, wherein each one of the RAN slices is assigned to a network consumer, the first band comprises a first bandwidth segment (BWS) and a second BWS, the first BWS is configured to be allocatable to each one of the plurality of RAN slices, and the second BWS is configured to be allocatable to qualified RAN slices of the plurality of RAN slices;

in response to a request for bandwidth from an identified RAN slice of the plurality of RAN slices, allocating a first allotment to the identified RAN slice, wherein the first allotment belongs to the first BWS;

monitoring, continuously, real-time bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the identified RAN slice;

determining whether the first allotment allocated to the identified RAN slice is sufficient to achieve predetermined Quality of Service (QoS) attributes of the identified RAN slice;

in response to a determination that the first allotment allocated to the identified RAN slice is insufficient to achieve the predetermined QoS attributes of the identified RAN slice, and that a total bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the RAN slices reaches a first predetermined threshold, allocating a second allotment to the identified RAN slice, wherein the identified RAN slice is a qualified RAN slice, and wherein the second allotment belongs to the second BWS;

determining that a total bandwidth usage of the second BWS by the RAN slices reaches or exceeds a second predetermined threshold; and

in response, allocating a third allotment to the identified RAN slice, wherein the third allotment belongs to the first BWS and is currently used by another RAN slice that is not the qualified RAN slice.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to a request for bandwidth from a second identified RAN slice of the plurality of RAN slices, allocating an initial allotment to the second identified RAN slice, wherein the initial allotment belongs to the first BWS;

determining that the initial allotment is insufficient to achieve predetermined QoS attributes of the second identified RAN slice;

determining that the total bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the RAN slices is below the first predetermined threshold; and

allocating an additional allotment to the second identified RAN slice, wherein the additional allotment belongs to the first BWS and is currently not used by the second identified RAN slice,

wherein the total bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the RAN slices is maintained at or below the first predetermined threshold.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to a request for bandwidth from a second identified RAN slice of the plurality of RAN slices, allocating an initial allotment to the second identified RAN slice, wherein the initial allotment belongs to the first BWS;

determining that the initial allotment is insufficient to achieve predetermined QoS attributes of the second identified RAN slice;

determining that the total bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the RAN slices reaches or exceeds the first predetermined threshold;

determining that the second identified RAN slice is not a qualified RAN slice for additional bandwidth; and

in response to the determination that the second identified RAN slice is not a qualified RAN slice for additional bandwidth, reallocating the initial allotment or a portion thereof from the second identified RAN slice, wherein the total bandwidth usage by the second identified RAN slice is less than the bandwidth of the initial allotment.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

maintaining a total bandwidth usage of the first band at or below a third predetermined threshold.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

determining that the total bandwidth usage of the first band by the RAN slices reaches or exceeds the third predetermined threshold;

determining that the total bandwidth of the allotments of the first band allocated to the identified RAN slice is insufficient to achieve the predetermined QoS attributes of the identified RAN slice;

in response, assigning a second band to the identified RAN slice; and

allocating a fourth allotment to the identified RAN slice, wherein the fourth allotment belongs to the second band.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

maintaining a total bandwidth usage of the second band at or below a fourth predetermined threshold, wherein the fourth predetermined threshold is the same as the third predetermined threshold.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

assigning a first level QoS priority indicator to each one of the plurality of RAN slices; and

assigning a second level QoS priority indicator to each one of the qualified RAN slices.

8 . A network slice management system in connection with a network, the network slice management system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the network slice management system to:

assign a first radio frequency band to a plurality of radio access network (RAN) slices of the network, wherein each one of the RAN slices is assigned to a network consumer, the first band comprises a first bandwidth segment (BWS) and a second BWS, the first BWS is configured to be allocatable to each one of the plurality of RAN slices, and the second BWS is configured to be allocatable to qualified RAN slices of the plurality of RAN slices;

in response to a request for bandwidth from an identified RAN slice of the plurality of RAN slices, allocate a first allotment to the identified RAN slice, wherein the first allotment belongs to the first BWS;

monitor, continuously, real-time bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the identified RAN slice;

determine whether the first allotment allocated to the identified RAN slice is sufficient to achieve predetermined Quality of Service (QoS) attributes of the identified RAN slice;

determine whether the first allotment allocated to the identified RAN slice is sufficient to achieve predetermined Quality of Service (QoS) attributes of the identified RAN slice;

in response to a determination that the first allotment allocated to the identified RAN slice is insufficient to achieve the predetermined QoS attributes of the identified RAN slice, and that a total bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the RAN slices reaches a first predetermined threshold, allocate a second allotment to the identified RAN slice, wherein the identified RAN slice is a qualified RAN slice, and wherein the second allotment belongs to the second BWS;

determine that a total bandwidth usage of the second BWS by the RAN slices reaches or exceeds a second predetermined threshold; and

in response, allocate a third allotment to the identified RAN slice, wherein the third allotment belongs to the first BWS and is currently used by another RAN slice that is not the qualified RAN slice.

9 . The network slice management system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the network slice management system to:

in response to a request for bandwidth from a second identified RAN slice of the plurality of RAN slices, allocate an initial allotment to the second identified RAN slice, wherein the initial allotment belongs to the first BWS;

determine that the initial allotment is insufficient to achieve predetermined QoS attributes of the second identified RAN slice;

determine that the total bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the RAN slices is below the first predetermined threshold; and

allocate an additional allotment to the second identified RAN slice, wherein the additional allotment belongs to the first BWS and is currently not used by the second identified RAN slice,

wherein the total bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the RAN slices is maintained at or below the first predetermined threshold.

10 . The network slice management system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the network slice management system to:

in response to a request for bandwidth from a second identified RAN slice of the plurality of RAN slices, allocate an initial allotment to the second identified RAN slice, wherein the initial allotment belongs to the first BWS;

determine that the initial allotment is insufficient to achieve predetermined QoS attributes of the second identified RAN slice;

determine that the total bandwidth usage of the first BWS by the RAN slices reaches or exceeds the first predetermined threshold;

determine that the second identified RAN slice is not a qualified RAN slice for additional bandwidth; and

in response to the determination that the second identified RAN slice is not a qualified RAN slice for additional bandwidth, reallocate the initial allotment or a portion thereof from the second identified RAN slice, wherein the total bandwidth usage by the second identified RAN slice is less than the bandwidth of the initial allotment.

11 . The network slice management system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the network slice management system to:

maintain a total bandwidth usage of the first band at or below a third predetermined threshold.

12 . The network slice management system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the network slice management system to:

determine that the total bandwidth usage of the first band by the RAN slices reaches or exceeds the third predetermined threshold;

determine that the total bandwidth of the allotments of the first band allocated to the identified RAN slice is insufficient to achieve the predetermined QoS attributes of the identified RAN slice;

in response, assign a second band to the identified RAN slice; and

allocate a fourth allotment to the identified RAN slice, wherein the fourth allotment belongs to the second band.

13 . The network slice management system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the network slice management system to:

maintain a total bandwidth usage of the second band at or below a fourth predetermined threshold, wherein the fourth predetermined threshold is the same as the third predetermined threshold.

14 . The network slice management system of claim 8 , wherein the instructions when executed by the one or more processors further cause the network slice management system to:

assign a first level QoS priority indicator to each one of the plurality of RAN slices; and

assign a second level QoS priority indicator to each one of the qualified RAN slices.