Multiband Spectrum Sensing: Challenges and Limitations

Multiband spectrum access presents the next generation of cognitive radio networks (CRNs), where multiple bands are sensed and accessed to enhance the network’s throughput, improve spectrum’s maintenance, and reduce handoff frequency and data transmission interruptions due to the activities of the primary users. In this paper, we discuss the challenges and limitations of the major multiband spectrum sensing techniques. Particularly, we highlight the edge-detection problem and examine several issues of the state-of-the-art wavelet-based techniques. We also study the compressive sensing problem. Finally, we highlight the promises of utilizing the angle-domain for the CRNs.