Traditionally wireless network protocols and architectures have been designed under the assumption that end users and network entities are cooperative. However, as wireless networks get more decentralized and pervasive, efficient networking solutions must include and cope with entities who want to optimize their own utilities.

In this talk, I will show how we can greatly improve on current approaches to spectrum access in 3G wireless networks and WiFi networks, taking selfish agents into account. First, I present an architecture and protocol framework that allows 3G service providers to offload popular content to ad hoc networks composed of 3G subscribers with 802.11 radios, thereby reducing demand for 3G wireless spectrum. I then consider the problem of assigning channels in WiFi networks. In WiFi networks, channels are shared among the access points (APs) of independent entities. I show that, by allowing players to bargain, channel assignment can be made much more efficient than the current approach which allocates channels in an ad hoc manner. In both contexts, I present game-theoretic analysis on the impact of of the selfish behavior of players.

Bio: Li (Erran) Li is a researcher in the Center for Networking Research at Bell Labs, Lucent. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell University in 2001. His research interests are in the area of wireless networks, network measurement and network security.