Spectral Efficiency Enhancement in Satellite Mobile Communications: A Game-Theoretical Approach

Broadband satellite services, such as satellite- based Internet of Things and cloud services, have attracted much attention recently. To achieve the goal of anytime and anywhere high-speed satellite communications, there is a big demand for satellite spectrum. The push for improving spectrum efficiency in satellite systems has been an important issue, mainly from the perspectives of spectrum reuse and dynamic spectrum access. In this article, we investigate the feasibility of improving satellite spectrum efficiency from another viewpoint, that is, introducing a game-theoretical approach, including spectrum pricing and auction, for satellite spectrum dynamic allocation. Although spectrum pricing and auction have been suggested for terrestrial networks, this work aims to establish a market-inspired model to address distinct characteristic features of satellite communications. In particular, we propose a generic satellite spectrum pricing scheme, taking into account three factors: spectrum reuse in multi-beam satellite systems (MSS), where intercell interference should be mitigated; the heterogeneous nature of satellite transmission links in different spectrum bands, in which a differential pricing scheme is desirable; and predictable and periodic satellite switching from one non-GEO satellite link to another, where traffic-oriented pricing should be used. Finally, the challenges and future works in satellite mobile communications are identified.