Multiple access control in wireless networks

Book chapter, 2016

In this chapter, we provide a bird's eye view of medium access control for wireless networks. Our treatment separates centralized cellular networks from decentralized WLAN-type networks. In centralized networks, the presence of channel state information and centralized control enables sophisticated ways of channelization and resource allocation. In decentralized networks, users compete for time slots, while access is controlled though decentralized strategies. Even though both types of networks operate under different assumptions regarding the channel and traffic models, we highlight the common trend toward cross-layer design based on optimization theory and stochastic control.