Maximum Achievable Throughput in Multiband Multiantenna Wireless Mesh Networks

We have recently witnessed a rapidly increasing demand for, and hence, a shortage of, wireless network bandwidth due to rapidly growing wireless services and applications. It is, therefore, important to develop an efficient way of utilizing this limited bandwidth resource. Fortunately, recent technological advances have enabled software-defined radios (SDRs) to switch from one frequency band to another at minimum cost, thereby making dynamic multiband access and sharing possible. On the other hand, recent advances in signal processing combined with those in antenna technology provide multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) capabilities, thereby creating opportunities for enhancing the throughput of wireless networks. Both SDRs and MIMO together enable next-generation wireless networks, such as mesh networks, to support dynamic and adaptive bandwidth sharing along time, frequency, and space. In this paper, we develop a new framework that 1) identifies the limits and potential of SDRs and MIMO in terms of achievable network throughput and 2) provides guidelines for designers to determine the optimal parameters of wireless mesh networks equipped with multiband and multiantenna capabilities.