TPRC 2024: The 52nd Research Conference on Communications, Information and Inter

2:00-2:05 pm Opening Remarks by Marcela Gomez, Chair, TPRC  
2:05-2:30 pm Opening Keynote: NIST and Emerging Tech 
Cherilyn Pascoe, Director, NCCoE, NIST
Introduced by Sudhanshu Kairab, Comcast
2:30-3:10 pm Panel 1: Routing Security  
Instructor: Tony Tauber, Comcast
Panelists: Kathryn Condello, Lumen, Bob Cannon, NTIA, Rikin Thakker, NCTA
3:10-3:15 pm Short Break
3:15-3:30 pm Lightning Talk: Post-Quantum Cryptography  
Instructor: Savanah Courtney, CISA
3:30- 3:45 pm Afternoon Keynote: IoT CyberTrust Mark
Speaker: Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, FCC
Introduced by: Lisa Fowlkes, Comcast
3:45-3:55 pm Short Break
3:55 -4:35 pm Panel 2: IoT Security  
Instructor: Mike Bergman, CTA
Panelists: Katrina Megas, NIST, Brian Scriber, CableLabs, Jean Camp, Indiana University
4:35 -4:40pm Short Break
4:40 - 4:55pm Lightning Talk: The Engineer Who Cried Quantum
Instructor: Vaibhav Garg, Comcast
4:45-5:20pm Closing Keynote: Closing Keynote: Outlook from the Office of National Cyber Director   
Speaker: Harry Wingo, Deputy National Cyber Director, White House
Introduced by: Rudy Brioché, Comcast 
5:20-5:30pm Closing Remarks, Jayati Dev, Comcast

Link to paper

Abstract:
This paper explores a tension in spectrum policy that is unnecessarily limiting public access to the airwaves and the benefits of more intensive spectrum sharing and connectivity. Most spectrum licenses (including Federal spectrum assignments) confer exclusive or at least primary rights to transmit on designated frequency bands at specific locations, or over defined geographic areas, including inside factories, office buildings and other facilities owned and controlled by others. This traditional form of licensing precludes property owners from using the spectrum inside buildings under their own control even if the transmissions are contained and would not cause harmful interference to the primary licensee’s operations outdoors. While unlicensed operations have been authorized, until very recently the rules have not been crafted to distinguish between how access rights could vary based on indoor-only use.

The potential benefits of different rules for indoor-only use are becoming more evident. In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted an order authorizing low power, indoor-only (LPI) use of 1,200 megahertz on an unlicensed basis across the entire 6 GHz band (5925-7125 MHz), which was already in use by incumbent licensees that include more than 50,000 high-power fixed microwave links. LPI use of this spectrum indoors is limited to roughly one-fourth the standard power of Wi-Fi, yet is considered extremely useful since the vast majority of internet data (including at least 80% of mobile device data traffic) is transmitted indoors and over Wi-Fi. LPI highlights the potential to authorize indoor-only use in many other bands where users comply with power, device form factor, or other requirements that protect the primary licensees from harmful interference. 

This paper explores the policy and technical considerations related to expanding indoor-only authorizations to more bands. For example, controlling the spectrum inside a facility is more practical at higher frequencies where transmissions do not readily penetrate building materials or travel long distances. This concept is particularly relevant now, as the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and FCC collaborate to implement the National Spectrum Strategy, which is premised on studying alternative means to expand private sector use of underutilized Federal bands, particularly bands occupied by U.S. military systems. Five Federal bands that may be prime candidates for indoor-only authorizations—1,675 megahertz in total—are discussed in this report. LPI underlays also provide another way to expand on the “use it or share it” approach to spectrum sharing, but without the need for control by a geolocation database.

Link to paper

Abstract:
Over recent decades, US spectrum policy has transitioned from a case-by-case administrative model to a Coasian one, where market mechanisms allocate exclusive yet flexible spectrum rights. This paper suggests that observing both formal and informal spectrum-management practices calls for a policy framework enabling comparative analysis across various governance structures, from exclusive access to spectrum commons. We propose an alternative framework, drawing on Elinor Ostrom's research on polycentric systems, to evaluate spectrum-sharing solutions, particularly unlicensed spectrum. Our analysis suggests that "unassigned" spectrum bands, like communal ownership or private commons within a flexible-licensing regime, can balance the trade-offs of exclusive and nonexclusive access.

Link to paper

Abstract:
The Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) and its counterparts globally keep a keen eye on spectrum concentration. This is because concentration in input markets is conjectured to have the effect of driving anticompetitive behavior in the relevant output markets. Spectrum is a necessity for the provision of mobile wireless services, and by accumulating spectrum holdings mobile carriers could wield their spectrum portfolios to obtain market advantages over competitors. For example, simply preventing spectrum to fall in the hands of your competitors increases deployment costs for them going forward, making them less competitive and in turn allowing the carrier that has accumulated the spectrum to compete less fiercely for customers. More spectrum, however, lowers your own production costs. In this paper, we develop theory describing the pro and anti-competitive incentives of spectrum accumulation and evaluate to what extent these theoretical findings can be empirically supported in the US market for mobile services. Generally, it should be expected that more concentrated markets exhibit lower product quality than less concentrated markets. To empirically test the theory, we will examine a combination of FCC Measuring Broadband America data and Universal Licensing System data to detect any econometrically significant relationships between mobile service quality and spectrum concentration.

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Abstract:
The scarcity of available spectrum bands has prompted the exploration and analysis of strategies for sharing spectrum with existing users. The US is considering several bands as part of its National Spectrum Strategy. In this paper, we consider sharing spectrum with the Broadcast Auxiliary Service (BAS) in the 6, 7 and 12 GHz bands. We develop simple models to examine the impact of interference in these bands to BAS-like operations. Our findings contribute to understanding the feasibility of various spectrum sharing regimes, such as, property rights easement, spectrum commons and spectrum anarchy. The key technical result of this study is that while new spectrum uses in the 6, 7, and 12 GHz bands can cause significant interference, this can be managed effectively through mitigation strategies such as dynamic exclusion zones, lower EIRP levels for indoor use, and advanced detection methods.

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Abstract:
Future G networks will require more dynamic, agile support for the management of radio frequency spectrum on a fine-grained basis. The radio access network (RAN) technologies necessary to enable Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) have progressed significantly over the past 20 years, but the challenges of realizing the potential for DSA requires the co-evolution of the technologies, business models/market structures, and regulatory policy for wireless networks. This paper discusses a bottom-up, multi-disciplinary approach to DSA. In particular, we focus on the use of standards-based Spectrum Consumption Models (SCMs), and review on-going research to incorporate SCMs in an automated management framework based on incentive-compatible, technically-sound spectrum access contracts, or Spectrum Access Agreements (SAAs). This work is being undertaken as part of the NSF National Radio Dynamic Zone (NRDZ) research initiative and this paper provides an introduction to the core concepts of the SCM/SAA framework, project goals, and preliminary insights into how the SCM/SAA can help improve spectrum management and advance R&D efforts to enable the transition to a shared spectrum future. The SCM/SAA research represents a bottom-up effort to develop the techno-economic tools to facilitate market-based experimentation and development of spectrum sharing markets, business models, and applications to complement and render more economically viable and relevant emerging DSA technologies and top-down regulatory reforms aimed at lowering spectrum sharing barriers.

If previous timeframes are to be followed, the next generation cellular system, 6G, can expect to roll out around 2030 (i.e., just 6 years from today). Consequently, discussions in the 3GPP and ITU on the development of 6G standards will begin in 2024. Thus, it is timely and relevant to bring together experts who are considering the technical, economic, policy, and regulation that surround the expectations of this emerging standard. In this light, multiple questions need to be addressed to start defining the new standard from multiple perspectives. These questions include but are not limited to the following: Should 6G be 10x faster than 5G? Should it be a lower cost than other standards (e.g., 5G) to reduce the digital divide? Should it focus on programmability and customization? How should spectrum sharing be incorporated into this new standard? The panel will address these and other topics that are likely to emerge over the next several months.

Link to Paper

Abstract:
An open-access market design is presented to manage network congestion and optimize network use and value. Open access eliminates the walled-garden approach; instead, it commoditizes communications network capacity while decentralizing access to a transparent wholesale market. It ensures that scarce capacity is put to its best use by providing a platform for efficient trade. The market operates without friction using flow trading. It allows participants to bid persistent piecewise-linear downward-sloping demand curves for portfolios of products, gradually adjusting positions toward targeted needs. Flow trading allows fine granularity of products in time and location, creating complete markets. Liquidity and computational feasibility are maintained despite trading millions of interrelated forward and real-time products. Participants manage risk and adverse price impact through trade-to-target strategies. The market operator clears the market every hour, finding unique prices and quantities that maximize as-bid social welfare. Prices, aggregate quantities, and the slope of the aggregate net demand are public. The market operator observes positions, enabling it to optimize collateral requirements to minimize default risk. Priority pricing is used to manage real-time imbalances. An application of the model is developed for intersatellite wholesale communications with optical (laser-beamed) mesh networks in space, showing several efficiency gains.

Link to paper

Abstract:
Defining property rights in the electromagnetic spectrum is challenging because the natural laws governing the behavior of electromagnetic radiations are very different from those describing material resources like land, water, or air. Additionally, the rules for the composition and decomposition of spectrum licenses, thus created for trading in secondary markets, are difficult to derive and are generally not well understood.

In this paper, we employ the framework of dynamical systems theory to introduce a new theoretical model that captures the behavior of a radio service as a dynamical system that operates within a context of concurrently operating radio services. We then introduce the formal framework of assume-guarantee contracts for specifying spectrum operating rights allocated to each radio service. Our proposed model helps unify existing frameworks that rely on an environment-based specification of transmission permissions and reception protections. Our framework is in accordance with the FCC's 2023 Policy Statement that establishes spectrum management principles for transmitters and receivers.

Our work opens up an inter-disciplinary research program between the fields of spectrum management, robotics, control-theory and programming language theory. We illustrate the applicability of our framework with a simple two-system example focusing on FCC's recent 5G-vs-radio altimeter problem.

Link to paper

Abstract:
Spectrum sharing, including dynamic spectrum sharing, is arguably the most significant overarching feature of the new era of spectrum management. The emphasis on sharing spectrum recognizes the importance of balancing the needs of different users of an exceptionally valuable resource. Despite the equitable features of spectrum sharing, what has been underemphasized in spectrum management is its colonial features from the perspective of Native Nations. This paper proposes ways to decolonize dynamic spectrum sharing and, in the process, improve prospects for a new spectrum era that recognizes Native Nations as collaborators in the American system of spectrum management.

Link to paper

Abstract:
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) at the Department of Commerce recently published its National Spectrum Strategy (NSS) along with an implementation plan. The NSS points to particular bands that may be suitable for either repurposing or sharing with other applications, totaling 2790 MHz. These bands include 3.1-3.45 GHz, assigned for use by the Department of Defense; 7.125-8.4 GHz, allocated to a variety of space-based communications systems and other applications; and 37-37.6 GHz, considered for shared use between Federal and non-Federal users. The NSS raises several questions about possible ways in which those bands might be reconfigured for a broader range of applications. We first summarize the four main pillars in the NSS, and then give a retrospective on past spectrum planning efforts, going back several decades. From that review we outline suggestions for future policy decisions concerning spectrum access rights.

Coexistence, and in particular, primary-secondary sharing, plays a key role in the NSS approach. Determining a priori what applications may reasonably coexist with incumbents in particular bands is treated primarily as a technical question, requiring measurements to assess the potential for “harmful” interference. We discuss potential benefits and limitations of measurements and associated measurement testbeds, to be developed as part of the NSS. While field measurements may provide some information about spectrum utilization, welfare maximization requires an assessment of economic value. Stakeholders and incumbents, in particular, may not have an incentive to reveal that information to regulators. Measurement testbeds can help to expand the range of possible conflict-mitigation mechanisms as inputs to policy makers. However, testbed capabilities will also be shaped by stakeholder incentives (or lack thereof), leading to experimental limitations in terms of both technologies and propagation scenarios that can be demonstrated. We include some recommendations concerning measurements and data collection as inputs to policy-makers that should help to minimize rigidities and associated inefficiencies with spectrum use.

Link to paper

Abstract:
This paper is a comparative analysis of national strategies for developing mobile technology in four countries–China, India, South Korea, and the United States–encompassing state support for research and development, innovation, industrial policy, and standard setting. Three generations of mobile technology are examined from 3G to 5G. We conclude with speculations on emerging policies in the realm of 6G in the context of past national experiences with, and learning from, previous generations of mobile technology.

Link to paper

Abstract:
Seeking to accelerate digitalisation of enterprises, some regulators have started relying on radio spectrum set asides for enterprises. Set-asides reserve radio bandwidth for potential use by enterprises in specific locations. This study empirically examines the impact of spectrum set-asides on enterprise digitalisation and public network quality. We find no evidence that set-asides have accelerated adoption of private networks or more broadly defined digitalisation of enterprises. However, use of radio spectrum set-asides presents a trade off, as it diminishes spectrum availability for public networks, potentially affecting download speeds and overall service quality. We find that 100 MHz of additional spectrum nationally was linked to 4.5 Mbps greater download speeds (or 24% increase). These findings underscore the need for cautious policy approaches and consideration of alternative spectrum access frameworks.

Link to paper

Abstract:
Differential privacy (DP) is a state-of-the-art privacy-preserving mechanism. In this paper, we argue that interpreting users’ personalized and contextual privacy choices is key to applying DP in actual use cases. Through the lens of contextual integrity (CI), we conducted a proof-ofconcept survey (N=23) to examine how app types and information receivers affected people’s perceived appropriateness of information disclosures and their choices of the privacy-data utility tradeoff in DP. Through the exploratory analysis, we revealed people’s diverse privacy choices, which were affected by contexts. Further, people’s perceived appropriateness of information flows and desired tradeoff between privacy and data utility in DP were consistent. Based on the findings, we point out the technical questions and uncertainty about DP and stress the importance of understanding users’ personalized and contextual privacy choices to avoid misalignment between app and users and, therefore, enhance the usability of DP. This research sheds light on making DP more socially aware and adaptive to user needs via integration with the CI framework.

Link to paper

Abstract:
Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade in the Summer of 2022 in the United States, rising concerns have emerged towards privacy, data protection, and digital trust concerning reproductive health data. Such health data has become both a commodity in the commercial world and source of discovery in legal proceedings that attempt to incriminate women for seeking abortions. Digital footprints created via location data, private conversations on platforms, and internet search history lead to a constant state of surveillance that threatens privacy and freedom of movement for women throughout the United States. We conducted an online survey via Amazon Mechanical Turk in order to identify the largest user concerns towards privacy of health tracking and period tracking applications. A large number of users were concerned with the privacy of their reproductive information and were found to have deleted period tracking applications due to these concerns. Additionally, we sought to identify what actions would lead users to feel more comfortable using these applications, identifying the largest being the localized storage of this data on their device. These findings suggest that users may be more likely to use these applications if their privacy concerns are addressed.

Link to paper

Abstract:
Differential Privacy (DP) is a powerful technology, but not well-suited to protecting corporate proprietary information while computing aggregate industry-wide statistics. We elucidate this scenario with an example of cybersecurity management data, and consider an alternative approach that relies on a pragmatic assessment of harm to add noise to the data.

Discussion topics may include the influence of emerging technologies such as open and virtual networks, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and quantum computing; security and privacy issues; and economic, market, and societal concerns and solutions.
Overall, the panel aims to generate discussion around key opportunities for successful spectrum management and wireless policy. What are important lessons learned, nationally and from other countries? What worked well, what research is needed, and how best to leverage the opportunities?

Link to Paper

Abstract:
This study investigates the responses of American Muslim individuals to algorithmic profiling and surveillance practices facilitated by prayer apps, specifically Muslim Pro. Using a mixed-methods approach involving surveys and thematic analysis of qualitative data, the research explores participants' expressions of discomfort, behavioral adaptations, and experiences with algorithmic surveillance. Findings reveal significant unease among participants regarding potential surveillance by US security agencies targeting religious activities through digital platforms. Participants reported modifying their digital religious practices, including altering app usage patterns and adopting privacy-enhancing measures. Thematic analysis uncovers prevalent themes of distrust, anxiety, and concerns about potential abuses related to data collection and predictive analytics. Participants express apprehensions about privacy infringements and the chilling effect on their freedom of religious expression. The study underscores the need for ethical considerations and regulatory safeguards to protect privacy rights and uphold constitutional protections in digital contexts. These findings contribute valuable insights into the impacts of algorithmic surveillance on religious communities and advocate for policies balancing security imperatives with individual rights.

Link to paper

Abstract:

The landmark 2018 US Supreme Court case Carpenter v. United States determined that a certain type of data—historical cell site location information—is protected by the Fourth Amendment and thus cannot be accessed by the government without a search warrant. At the same time, the Court asserted that this ruling was a narrow one that did not undermine the third party doctrine, which holds that a person has no reasonable expectation of privacy for information voluntarily shared with third-party actors, such as telecommunications companies.

This paper explores how the narrow yet significant Carpenter ruling can be applied to an alternative category of data: metadata, and specifically browser fingerprints. In other words, given the risks of potentially individual-level tracking using browser metadata, should browser fingerprints be protected under the Fourth Amendment, similar to cell site location information? If the government were able to access individual users’ browser fingerprints and retrieve their browsing history and other web activity, should that be considered a protected search that requires a warrant justified by probable cause?

I explore this question by tracing the evolution in case law of the Fourth Amendment from its property-based conceptualization to its more recent applications in the form of a test to determine when and where individuals can claim a reasonable expectation of privacy. In particular, I focus on how Carpenter has potentially created a new framework by which the third party doctrine can be limited in the case of exceptional categories of information—including, so far, only cell site location information but, as I argue, potentially digital metadata as well. I explore this specifically using the case of browser fingerprints, which are a category of data collected about a user’s device, such as the operating system, browser, time zone, extensions, and other properties and settings, which could be used together to uniquely identify an individual. I conclude by reflecting on the need for the Supreme Court to respond both to technological developments and to average expectations and behaviors of individuals on the internet by building on Carpenter to expand privacy rights online through Fourth Amendment protections.

Link to paper

Abstract:
As the main drivers of the digital divide evolve, digital inclusion efforts that seek to increase digital skills, build consumer trust in digital technologies, and promote information about affordability plans and other broadband availability programs have fast become key to getting everyone online. Accordingly, a major subset of digital inclusion activities now involves efforts to teach and promote “digital skills” to help consumers make the most of their broadband connection. But despite being a cornerstone of digital inclusion, digital skills in the United States are neither comprehensively nor consistently measured. Those attempting to measure the problem of low digital skills are relegated to choosing from multiple piecemeal studies with competing interpretations of what it even is to be truly digitally literate.

This is taking on new relevance as states and territories embark on a digital upskilling through programs under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. With participants tasked with setting and meeting “measurable objectives” for their digital inclusion efforts, including upskilling, lack of a consistent framework means that we could emerge on the other side of these programs with a series of incompatible assessments and disparate digital skills benchmarks, leaving us no closer to a national understanding of where we stand or attainment of shared goals. To be broadly successful, efforts to digitally upskill the United States need to be grounded in a data-driven understanding of what current digital literacy rates are and—importantly—broad agreement on what accomplishing widespread digital literacy will actually look like. 

This report argues for the creation of a national digital skills framework and explains the immediate policy context. It explores some key literature and studies measuring different aspects of digital literacy, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s Survey of Adult Skills (which measures competence in a digital environment) and the Pew Research Center’s survey assessing familiarity with various digital topics. It also examines some existing digital skills frameworks, such as Northstar Digital Literacy, the International Society for Technology in Education’s standards for technology usage in classrooms, and the EU’s DigComp. After examining the landscape of available resources, this report outlines, in broad strokes, some potential paths forward to a national digital skills framework.