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Pdf: Seminar program

The management of the radio spectrum has always been characterised by splitting the available resources in bands that were strictly associated to a given service. New and more flexible ways of frequency utilization are being elaborated at present. Among these, the Cognitive Radio model emerges for its importance. It has been developed in the late 90's by Dr. Joseph Mitola III, the key note speaker of this Bordoni Seminar. These systems try to exploit the unused "slices" of the spectrum: they must therefore have a suitable knowledge of the radio environment in which they operate and must adapt to it in the best way.

With Cognitive Radio, it is possible to efficiently use the "gaps" (called "white spaces" by the FCC in the US) that remain unused in television bands after the migration to digital. In particular the FCC has proposed to allow the use of such "white spaces" to provide services very different from the ones provided by traditional television, such as mobile Internet, that is to say wireless broadband access. Along this line, and following the decisions made in the WRC07, some European states too are evaluating the use of the so-called digital dividend for wireless broadband services.

The reflections during the morning will be rather perspective and will be used as a starting point to discuss in the afternoon Panel Session the role of radio technologies for the development of NGN, Next Generation Network. Broadband networks are often conceived as the evolution of fixed traditional networks towards innovative technologies. However such fixed networks might have an essential complement and a precious integration by the use of wireless technologies in all those areas where the employment of fiber and copper could result hardly applicable or not economically viable. A more flexible use of the radio spectrum could therefore have a great socio-economic impact for the development of the entire country.