Flexible spectrum sharing

1. An apparatus comprising: a controller; the apparatus being configured to:

receive, by a first wireless node in a first wireless network, a request from a second wireless node in a second wireless network to borrow spectral resources from the first wireless network;

determine a cost of granting the request, the cost being based at least in part on:

a cost to a lending cell within the first wireless network from which the spectral resources will be borrowed; and

a cost to neighboring cells of the lending cell; and

lend the spectral resources to the second wireless node based at least in part on comparing the determined cost of granting the request to a gain, the gain being based on an offered payment,

wherein the determined cost depends at least on a current or predicted load of the lending cell and of the neighboring cells of the lending cell.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising determining whether to grant the request is based on comparing the cost to a gain, the gain being based on at least one of an increase in reputation and improved network performance.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determining the cost includes determining spectral resources required to serve user terminals in the lending cell and the neighboring cells.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determining the cost includes at least one of:

scheduling resources for user terminals in the lending cell and the neighboring cells based on minimizing interference between the user terminals and the borrowed spectral resources, the scheduling being based on an assumption that the request was granted;

scheduling resources for user terminals in the lending cell and the neighboring cells based on priority class of the user terminals, the scheduling being based on an assumption that the request was granted; and

scheduling resources for user terminals in the lending cell and the neighboring cells based on priority class of the user terminals and, within each priority class, scheduling resources based on channel quality indications, the scheduling being based on an assumption that the request was granted.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determining the cost includes scheduling resources for user terminals in the lending cell and the neighboring cells based on quality of service class of the user terminals, the scheduling being based on an assumption that the request was granted.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein determining the cost includes determining a cost associated with not serving one or more user terminals within the lending cell and neighboring cells as a result of granting the request.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a list of neighboring wireless nodes from a location database, the list including a location and spectral allocation for one or more user terminals in the lending cell and the neighboring cells,

wherein the determining the cost includes determining the cost of granting the request based at least in part on determining which of the one or more user terminals will not be served based at least in part on the request to borrow spectral resources and the location and spectral allocation of each of the one or more user terminals.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determining the cost includes determining the cost based at least in part on a priority class of user terminals which will not be served if the request is granted.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determining the cost includes determining the cost based at least in part on a traffic type of user terminals which will not be served if the request is granted.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the determining the cost includes:

predicting a spectrum mask of a cell of the second wireless node if the request is granted; determining a current channel quality indication (CQI) of one or more user terminals in the lending cell and the neighboring cells; and

predicting a new CQI of the one or more user terminals in the lending cell and the neighboring cells if the request is granted.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first wireless node in a first wireless network, a request from a second wireless node in a second wireless network to borrow spectral resources from the first wireless network;

determining a cost of granting the request, the cost being based at least in part on:

a cost to a lending cell within the first wireless network from which the spectral resources will be borrowed; and

a cost to neighboring cells of the lending cell;

determining that the cost exceeds a gain from granting the request; and

sending a counter-offer to lend spectral resources to the second wireless node based on the determining that the cost exceeds the gain,

wherein the determined cost depends at least on a current or predicted load of the lending cell and of the neighboring cells of the lending cell.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first wireless node in a first wireless network, a request from a second wireless node in a second wireless network to borrow spectral resources from the first wireless network;

rescheduling remaining spectral resources within the first wireless network based, at least in part, on the request, the rescheduling including determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources;

determining a cost associated with the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources based, at least in part, on a cost associated with each user terminal which will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources; and

sending a message to the second wireless node accepting or rejecting the request based, at least in part, on the determined cost,

wherein the determined cost depends at least on a current or predicted load of the lending cell and of the neighboring cells of the lending cell.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources includes rescheduling the remaining spectral resources within the first wireless network based, at least in part, on the request, the rescheduling including determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources, the determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served including determining effects of interference from the borrowed spectral resources on the user terminals.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources includes rescheduling the remaining spectral resources within the first wireless network based, at least in part, on the request, the rescheduling including determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources, the determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served including determining path loss effects on the user terminals from the borrowed spectral resources.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources includes rescheduling the remaining spectral resources within the first wireless network based, at least in part, on the request, the rescheduling including determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources, the determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served including determining interference on the user terminals based on a spectrum mask of the borrowed spectral resources.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources includes rescheduling the remaining spectral resources within the first wireless network based, at least in part, on the request, the rescheduling including determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources, the determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served including predicting traffic load of the user terminals.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources includes rescheduling the remaining spectral resources within the first wireless network based, at least in part, on the request, the rescheduling including determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources, the determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served including estimating channel quality indications of each of the user terminals.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources includes rescheduling the remaining spectral resources within the first wireless network based, at least in part, on the request, the rescheduling including, assigning guard band spectral resources to lower priority user terminals or assigning to user terminals which will be more affected by the borrowed spectral resources due to geographical features, spectral resources further from the borrowed spectral resources.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein the determining the cost associated with the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources includes determining the cost associated with the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources based, at least in part, on the cost associated with each user terminal which will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources, the cost associated with each user terminal being based, at least in part, on a priority class of the user terminal.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following:

receive, by a first wireless node in a first wireless network, a request from a second wireless node in a second wireless network to borrow spectral resources from the first wireless network;

reschedule remaining spectral resources within the first wireless network based, at least in part, on the request, the rescheduling including determining which user terminals in the first wireless network will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources;

determine a cost associated with the rescheduling the remaining spectral resources based, at least in part, on a cost associated with each user terminal which will no longer be served by the remaining spectral resources; and

send a message to the second wireless node accepting or rejecting the request based, at least in part, on the determined cost,

wherein the determined cost depends at least on a current or predicted load of the lending cell and of the neighboring cells of the lending cell.