A Collaborative Enforcement Mechanism for Spectrum Sharing Using Blockchain and Smart Contracts: An Application for the 1695-1710MHz Band

Traditionally, spectrum allocation has been governed by centralized schemes (e.g., command-and-control). Nonetheless, other mechanisms, such as collaborative enforcement, have proven to be successful in a variety of scenarios. In Collaborative enforcement (i.e., collective action), the stakeholders agree on decision-making arrangements (i.e., access, allocation and control of the resources) while being involved in monitoring the adherence to the rules as a shared effort. Blockchain is a distributed ledger of records/transactions (i.e., database) that brings many benefits such as decentralization, transparency, immutability, etc. One of the most notable characteristics of blockchain-based platforms is their definition as trustless environments, as there is no central entity in charge of controlling the network interactions. Instead, trust is a group effort, achieved through repeated interactions, consensus algorithms, and cryptographic tools; therefore, converting blockchain systems into prominent examples of collaborative governance regimes. In this paper, our goal is to analyze a particular application of blockchain and smart contracts for the 1695-1710MHz sharing scenario. In this way, we provide a theoretical analysis of the feasibility and the required characteristics to implement such a system. In addition, through the implementation of a Proof of Concept, we evaluate how the implementation of a blockchain-based organization can be the motor to build a collaborative governance scheme in the spectrum sharing arrangement of the 1695-1710MHz band.