Virtual radio: a framework for configurable radio networks

Network virtualization has recently been proposed for the development of large scale experimental networks, but also as design principle for a Future Internet. In this paper we describe the background to network virtualization and extend this concept into the wireless domain, which we denote as radio virtualization. With radio virtualization different virtual radio networks can operate on top of a common shared infrastructure and share the same radio resources. We present how this radio resource sharing can be performed efficiently without interference between the different virtual radio networks. Further we discuss how radio transmission functionality can be configured. Radio virtualization provides flexibility in the design and deployment of new wireless networking concepts. It allows customization of radio networks for dedicated networking services at reduced deployment costs.